Unspoken Desire
by PugNTurtle
Summary: When a songbird refuses to take care of herself, who will be there for her? Lilian Rock Trish
1. Chapter 1

Well hello my friends! This is a joint collaboration between myself and Katy, aka Shout Diva. We disclaim... no one belongs to us. Though if Rock ever goes missing, you may find him tied up in Katy's room. Same with Mike Chioda, though you may find him in Delaware...

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Setting the glass of water down, Lilian tried to carry the opening notes to the National Anthem. She groaned in frustration when the gravely noise emitted from her throat.

"What is wrong with me?" she questioned to the empty locker room.

The ring announcer shook her head, picking the glass up again. She took a drink and tilted her head back to let the water soothe her throat.

"Ugh," Lilian muttered, shaking her head as the water did very little to help her out. Walking over to her bag, she pulled it open, relieved to find a package of throat lozenges. "I should take stock in these things," Lilian mused, closing her bag and popping one of the lozenges into her throat as she heard the door to the women's locker room open.

"Lil, Lil, Lil!" she heard, turning to see one of her good friends running into the locker room, grabbing Lilian by the shoulders.

"Trish, Trish, Trish!" Lilian replied, placing her hands on the blonde Canadian's shoulders.

"What's up?"

"Not a thing, just getting warmed up to go out there and sing," Lilian replied, grabbing her hair brush and running it through her hair.

"Warmed up?" Trish questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What's that all about?"

"I think I'm getting a cold, maybe laryngitis." She shrugged and threw the brush back into her bag.

"You should go see a doctor, Lil. You've been having a sore throat every week now, that's not just a cold and don't even try to tell me its a chronic case of laryngitis."

"Trish…" Lilian said with a shake of her head. "I've told you… it's nothing."

"Nothing? Lilian Anne Garcia, last time you had sore throats, it wasn't 'nothing'. You need to go see Dr. Andrews again-"

"Trish! Drop it!"

The blonde jumped slightly, knowing her friend was serious. "Okay… but Lil, please trust me when I say I'm worried about you. This isn't normal and you know it."

"I'm fine though, I promise. It's probably because of all this dry weather since it's been so hot lately. I just need to drink more water."

Trish rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever." She paused for a second, then continued. "So, have you seen Dwayne yet? He's supposed to be here just to hang out. At least, that's what I heard...," she added.

Lilian gasped. "D's here! I gotta go!" She quickly ran out of the locker room to find the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. The blonde turned a corner in the arena, searching for the man in question, only to run into another one of her female friends. "Hey, Victoria," she greeted the older diva when she saw her.

"Hey, Lil. How are you?"

"I'm good," Lilian replied distractedly. "Look, have you seen Dwayne?"

"Yeah, briefly. Last time I saw him, he was talking to Shawn and Paul in catering," Victoria said.

"Okay, thanks," Lilian replied, heading towards the food area.

As she entered the room, she saw the members of DX talking against a wall. They saw Lilian and smiled.

"You just missed him," Shawn admitted with a frown.

"Damn it," she cursed in a whisper. "Okay, do you know where he went?"

"Try McMahon's office," The Game offered.

She smiled at them gratefully. "Thank you!" She turned and went to find the boss' office.

Lilian set off toward the area where she knew Vince would be for the duration of the show. She broke into a jog when she came to the long hallway, stopping just before she started to knock on the door.

'Damn,' Lilian realized, 'I can't just barge in there.' Sighing, Lilian shoved her hands, turning in frustration, only to nearly walk into a solid chest.

"Oh, I'm-" She cut herself off when she realized who she nearly walked into.

"Well aloha Mama!"

Lilian screamed in excitement before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Dwayne, oh my God! I haven't seen you in so long! How have you been?"

He hugged her back and then released her. "I'm alright, what've you been up to?"

"Just the usual." She grinned, her eyes sparkling with joy as she looked him over. "You're looking very nice!"

"Don't I always?" he replied, holding his arms out in a cocky manner. Lilian laughed, pushing him lightly in the chest. "You're looking pretty good yourself, Ms. Garcia. I'm liking the boots."

"Only $500, Dolce and Gabbana," Lilian said, shifting her leg to show him the boots.

"Only," Dwayne repeated, shaking his head.

"Aw. Come on, they were a bargain!"

"Whatever you say, Lil," Dwayne said with a laugh.

"This coming from a man who has a $150 shirt," Lilian scoffed.

"Excuse me, it was $147, get it right," he mocked, musing her hair.

"So what are you doing here?" she asked enthusiastically, after smoothing down her hair.

"Just visiting some of my favorite people."

"Aww, it's nice to see you too!"

"Who said it was you I came to see?" He chuckled softly.

"Well thanks, jackass." She pouted playfully.

"Aw," Dwayne said with a laugh, placing a hand on his heart. "That hurts me."

"Ah, shut up D," Lilian replied, smacking his upper shoulder.

"I'm just kidding, Lil," Dwayne told her. "I was looking for you this whole time but people kept distracting me."

"Uh huh, sure," Lilian said, crossing her arms. "I don't believe you. You were probably going to wait till I was out there and then somehow work your way into the show to surprise me. I didn't even realize you were here tonight!"

"Consider me a magician," he said confidently.

"Mhm, then make yourself disappear," she quipped, and then giggled.

He sniffed and covered his eyes. "I'm just going to go back home since you're so abusive to me."

She laughed harder, pulling his hand down. "I'm sorry, you big baby, I was kidding." She flashed him with a wide grin. "How's your ankle?"

He looked down to the foot that was heavily wrapped. "I've been better, but at least I have time to rest now." His gaze flicked to her wrist, which was still encased in a soft brace. "And how's your battle wounds?"

"Please, D," Lilian said with a shake of her head. "It's nothing."

"Nothing? I thought you'd been shot the way you screeched when Charlie knocked you off the apron," Dwayne teased, grinning when Lilian flipped him off.

"Hey, bite me," Lilian replied sulkily. "It scared the shit out of me."

"I know, I know," Dwayne said, wrapping his arms around her again and pulling her to him. "I'm just glad you weren't hurt seriously."

"Yeah, me too," Lilian replied distractedly, bringing her uninjured hand up to unconsciously massage her throat.

"Wishing I'd give you a hickey already, Mama?" He smirked and laughed when she hit him across the chest.

"Shut up!" She shook her head. "I think I'm just getting a cold or something, my throat hurts a little."

"Think it's strep?" he questioned, his tone showing concern.

"Nah, I mean, I guess it could be, but I don't have any other symptoms. I'm not running a fever or anything like that, I think I'll be fine - just as long as I'm able to go out there and sing without looking like a total idiot."

"You'd never look like an idiot, Lil," Dwayne said gently. "Just make sure you take care of yourself."

"Have you ever known me to not take care of myself?" Lilian asked.

Dwayne shrugged, folding his arms as he raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Okay, tough guy," Lilian challenged. "Name one time."

"Well, there's the time-"

"Oh, darn," Lilian cut him off with a laugh, looking at her cell phone to see the time. "I've gotta go to the gorilla. Will you walk me there?"

"But of course!" He offered her his arm, which she took.

"How's Hollywood treating you?" she asked once they began walking.

"It's great, I love it, but don't try to change the subject, little girl."

"Little girl? Excuse you, but ... oh, I guess you are older than me." She giggled innocently.

"Now you're going to make old jokes? Jesus Garcia, I'm beginning to question my visiting!"

"Psht," Lilian scoffed. "You could never just not visit me."

"You want to bet?"

"Please, D. You know I've won every bet you've made with me," Lilian replied. "Including the one about you and some whipped-"

"Please don't remind me of that!" Lilian giggled again when the man known as the Rock blushed. He didn't blush that much, but that one little incident could turn him as red as a tomato. "Keep it up and I'll make you sing the song you sang for Viscera at Vengeance last year!"

"How ironic," she commented. "I was actually picturing you on that couch when I sang it. Hmm, what would you make of that?" She nudged him to show she was just kidding.

"I'd say that you're madly in love with me and you can't keep your thoughts, or your paws, off me." He winked at her and then stopped once they arrived at gorilla. "What are you doin' tonight after the show?"

"Just going back to my hotel, why? You want a hot date?"

"Yeah, do you know if Trish is wanting to get something to eat afterwards?" She sent him a glare, making him laugh. "No, I'm kidding, but would you want to go?"

"Yeah, of course," Lilian replied. "Hopefully I'll have a voice left at the end of the show."

"Oh, I thought nothing was wrong with your throat," Dwayne pressed, frowning when she again rubbed her throat.

"Quit pushing," Lilian warned, her voice letting him know that she didn't want to discuss it.

"Lily-"

"Dwayne. I said quit it," the Latina said softly. Dwayne wasn't sure if it was because she didn't want to make a scene or if she really couldn't yell at him.

Dwayne looked at her hard, not liking the fact that she wouldn't meet his gaze as they arrived at the gorilla. "Fine. I'll meet you back here after the show."

"Okay," she said, smiling, "I will see you then." She leaned up to peck his cheek and then she was gone.

Dwayne shook his head and walked back down the hall where Trish was. "Hey!"

"Hey," the blonde said, grinning. "Did Lil find ya?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about her."

"Well, since you insisted, yes, you can marry her. You have my blessing," Trish joked.

He raised an eyebrow, but decided to not press the issue. "I was wondering what's really been going on with her throat."

Trish sighed, crossing her arms uncomfortably. "Dwayne, I really don't think it's my place-"

"Trish," Dwayne said gently yet forcefully, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This is Lilian we're talking about here."

Trish shook her head, frowning as she answered, "Honestly, Dwayne? She won't talk about it. Every time I ask her about it, she either insists she is fine or changes the subject."

"What do you think is wrong?"

"Damn, Dwayne, I'm not a doctor. But after every show, she comes back to the locker room very hoarse. Last week, she didn't even have a voice. You should have heard her thanking the crowd after the cameras stopped rolling. It wasn't pretty."

"Has she seen a doctor?"

Trish shook her head sadly. "I can't get her to go. Nobody can, and believe me, everyone has tried."

"Do you think she's just overdoing it?"

She shrugged. "I really don't know. I'm worried about her though. Singing her life, and if she messes her vocal cords up with this, I don't know what she'll do."

Rock nodded. "Okay, thank you, I really appreciate it."

"No problem, and it really is great to see you again!"

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Lilian walked to the back, angry at the way a few things had gone during the night. First of all, her voice had cracked slightly during the Anthem. While she didn't hear or see anyone laughing, she was still slightly angry at herself. Then, Charlie had been a little too rough during their Unlimited segment, and now her wrist was aching a little bit, not to mention the dull throb once again settling in her throat. At least now she could look forward to her date with Dwayne.

'Please, Lil, it's not a date,' she told herself, frowning slightly when someone stepped out of a doorway into her path. 'It's just dinner between friends.' She looked up, surprised to see the owner of the WWE staring at her as she made her way through the backstage area.

"Good evening, Mr. McMahon," Lilian said politely. "The show went well tonight, I think."

"Yes it did," Vince replied. "Lilian, I need to talk to you," he added gently.

She shook her head, confused. "Okay...?"

"Come with me, please."

She shrugged and followed him to his make-shift office. He sat down and motioned for her to do as well.

"What is this about, Mr. McMahon?" she asked, her grip tightening on her binder of papers she kept at ringside.

"There seems to be issues regarding your voice," he replied. "Before you think anything, you haven't done anything wrong. You're doing a tremendous job, and I thank you for that."

She smiled, unsure. "Okay, thank you." Lilian paused, then hoarsely asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

Vince sighed, wiping his sweaty brow with the back of his hand. "Lilian; Stephanie, Shane, and I can't help but notice that you've been hoarse after the show," Mr. McMahon started, only to be cut off by Lilian.

"Please, sir, it's nothing! I think I've just got a case of strep-"

"For the last two months, Lilian?" Vince cut her off, crossing his arms and giving Lilian a hard look, one that made her squirm slightly.

"I...you see...It's...well," she stuttered, biting her lip. "Vince, I just...I think..."

Vince offered her a kind smile. "Lilian, I would like for you to be get checked out by a doctor when you go home tomorrow. I will pay for the medical bills if you're put on medicine or something to that effect."

"Mr. McMahon, that really isn't necessary."

"I believe it is," he confirmed. "I want to know what he says, so please call me when you get out of the appointment. If need be, you can have a few weeks off of your announcing duties. Justin wouldn't mind filling in, I'm sure."

"Yeah, and I'm sure Justin wouldn't mind if I got run over by a bus either," Lilian muttered to herself, crossing her arms miserably. "Fine," Lilian finally replied, knowing it was useless to argue with her boss.

"Hey, don't have such a long face," Vince said kindly, placing a gentle hand on Lilian's arm as her hand went up again to her throat. "You have a lot of friends who are concerned about you."

"Oh, really?" Lilian asked suspiciously, raising her eyebrows. "Like who?"

"Well, everyone here," he said, painting her a broad picture. "We do take notice and we do care about you, okay? Will you please take care of yourself?"

She looked away, as though she was actually thinking it over. "Alright, I'll call you tomorrow after I see the doctor."

He stood up, smiling. "Thank you, I really appreciate that."

She nodded, standing as well. "Like I would really tell you no." She laughed lightly before they said their goodbyes and she left his office.

Once outside, she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and letting a sigh escape past her lips. "Well hey there, Little Giggle Panties," she heard, looking up to see Dwayne walking towards her. "How are you?"

"Horrible, thanks to you," Lilian bit off, pushing herself off the wall and walking away from him.

"Lilian, what's wrong?" Dwayne asked, trying to keep up with her but knowing why she was suddenly very mad.

She whirled around, not even noticing when Dwayne nearly walked into her. "You son of a bitch!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger into his face. "How dare you!"

"What?" He was completely perplexed. "Lil, what happened to make you so angry?"

"Like you don't know!" she shot back, turning to leave.

He grabbed her loosely by her arm. "Actually, I don't know, so why don't you explain it to me?"

"Oh fuck off!" She jerked away from him and stormed off.

"Well, I guess we aren't going to dinner now," he said to himself.

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End Part 1


	2. Chapter 2

Again, we disclaim. Although how freaking awesome was Lilian's outfit on Monday? That's the only thing Katy and I will claim! And Katy claims that the Rock can do her anytime he wants. shoves Lilian Ten dollars to the person who can figure out the hidden double meanings (Kristen, you should be an expert at this!)

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Lilian sighed as she sat in the small doctor's office as she waited for a nurse to call her name. She gritted her teeth in frustration when her cell phone vibrated against her hip yet again. She glanced at the number, pushing the button to send the call to voicemail when she saw that it was Dwayne.

A few seconds later, the phone began vibrating again. With an annoyed sigh and a glance at the sign reminding patients not to use their cell phones in the office as a courtesy to other patients, she flipped open her phone.

"Dwayne, I am not in the mood right now! It's your fault I'm sitting in a doctor's office in the first place, so STOP CALLING ME!" With that, she slammed the phone shut, nodding politely towards the elderly lady across the room from her.

"Problems with your husband, sweetie?" the older woman asked in a kind manner.

Lilian smiled and shook her head. "No, he -"

"Lilian Garcia," the nurse called from the door.

She stood up to head for the door, mentally noting to stop wearing a ring on her left hand. The nurse led her to an open office and motioned for Lilian to take a seat.

"Can you tell me a bit about why you're here?"

I'll skip the small talk, Lilian said mentally. "I've having a severe sore throat the past couple of weeks. I don't have a fever or anything, it's just a sore throat."

"Okay," the nurse said. "I'm just going to have to take your temperature." Lilian nodded, not surprised when a few minutes later the nurse said, "98.6. Dr. Andrews will be back with you in a few minutes."

"Okay," Lilian agreed. She sat there for a few moments staring at the poster showing the parts of the human body. She rolled her eyes when her phone vibrated again. She picked up the phone, hissing, "I SAID, STOP CALLING ME!" before slamming the phone shut again. On second thought, she flipped it back open and shut it off, dropping it into the camouflage bag she always used as Dr. Andrews walked into the door.

"Hello, Lilian. How are you?" Lilian shrugged in response, and Dr. Andrews continued, "How's the wrist?"

"It's fine. Everything is fine. I shouldn't even be here," she grumbled.

The doctor did a once over, nodding. "Mmmhm, that voice says you should." He sat down on his chair, sliding the clipboard with her papers on it closer to him. "So how long has your throat been hurting you?"

"A couple weeks, I guess. I haven't really be keeping track."

He scribbled something down on the paper. "Does it hurt more after you sing and announce a show?"

She nodded. "Oh yeah, it really hurts then. I've just been sucking on a peppermint or anything really before I go out there to help relax my throat, but lately, it feels like it hasn't been working."

"Okay," Dr. Andrews said with a nod, setting her chart aside and grabbing his stethoscope. He listened to her breathing for a few seconds before moving his hands up to feel her glands and the outer part of her throat. Then, he grabbed a tongue depressor and said, "Open wide."

Lilian complied, opening her mouth as wide as possible, trying to read the expression on Dr. Andrew's face as he looked down her throat. "Okay, close your mouth, Lilian," Dr. Andrews instructed, settling back to make more notes in her chart.

"What's wrong, doc?" Lilian asked nervously after a few moments of silence.

With a sigh, Dr. Andrews looked at her. "Lilian… it appears as if the polyps you had removed back in 2000 have regrown."

For a moment, she stopped breathing and she could've sworn her heart stopped beating. "What?" she managed to breathe out.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I can tell you that you continuing to sing and ring announce every week is the cause of this, among other things. You stress your voice continually, and that isn't good for it," he explained. "Now, the polyp is quite large so I know just having you rest your voice for a week or two won't help you in any way."

Lilian closed her eyes, trying to regain her bearings. Sighing, she opened them again. "What are you suggesting then?"

"We'll have to go in and surgically remove them."

Lilian nodded slowly, trying to hold back the tears. She ducked her head in embarrassment, ashamed when a tear slipped down her cheeks and splattered on her jeans. "Hey," Dr. Andrews said gently, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's a simple procedure. You have nothing to worry about."

"Why did they grow back if I had them removed before?" Lilian asked softly, wiping away the tear with the back of her hand.

Dr. Andrews sighed, settling back in his chair. "Like I said, you continually stress your voice. You told me when you came in for your wrist that you've been working hard on your album. That combined with your career takes a toll on your throat."

"Is there anything I can do to ensure they won't grow back this time?"

"Other than quitting the WWE or stopping your music career, no. And I know neither of them is an option."

"You know me well," she said, a small smile appearing on her lips. "When do I need to schedule this surgery?"

"As soon as possible. I know you will have to have a reason for being off TV, so I can give you sometime after next Monday. A week from today would be perfect if you're able to do it under such short notice."

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "Alright, let me get a hold of Vince, then I'll call your secretary back to make the appointment."

Dr. Andrews smiled, patting her jean covered leg. "You're being a good sport about this. And just remember, the sooner you get this done, the sooner you can be back in that ring."

"Thank you, Dr. Andrews," Lilian said softly. She followed him out of the office, stopping briefly to talk to his secretary.

"You need to schedule a surgery, dear?" the older lady asked kindly.

"Yes, ma'am," Lilian replied politely. "But I need to speak with my boss first."

"Okay, dear, just give me a call when you know when you can do it," the secretary said kindly. Lilian nodded, stepping out of the office and sitting down on a bench, watching the busy New York streets before picking up her phone and dialing Vince McMahon's office number.

"Mr. McMahon's office," his secretary greeted politely.

"Yes, hello Suzy, this is Lilian Garcia. May I please speak to Mr. McMahon?" Lilian asked, closing her eyes and tilting her face up to the sun.

"Yes, he's been expecting a call from you, Hold, please."

"Lilian?" Vince's voice boomed from the other side.

"Hi Mr. McMahon," Lilian replied, playing with the fabric on her shirt.

"How'd it go?"

"I need to have surgery, again. He wants me to do it as soon as possible. Do you know when I can be written off the show for a week or two?" Inside, her heart was breaking. She hated being away from RAW and the WWE.

"We can do it this coming show if you'd like."

"Yes, sir, I'd appreciate that," Lilian replied. "I just want to get this over with as soon as possible."

"I can understand that," Mr. McMahon said softly. "This also gives us the chance to reshape the angle between Viscera and Charlie and you." Oh, here we go, Lilian thought glumly, thinking that Vince was going to talk her ear off for an hour about the difference between love triangles today and back when he first started in the business. However, she was pleasantly surprised when Vince simply said, "If you have no objections with taking a bump from Nelson, I think that will be the perfect way to write you out."

"No, sir, it's not an issue. I really appreciate you helping me out so quickly."

"It's not a problem, Lilian. Your health is the most important thing to us… we can't have our star singer without a voice!"

She laughed slightly, trying to prove she was fine. "Okay, thank you very much. I'll see you Friday at the house show."

"Don't worry about that," Vince said. "Just come for Monday. I really want you to rest your voice as much as possible."

"Well, okay if that's what you want me to do."

"It is." The way he said it, she knew he was smiling on the other side. "I'll talk to you more on Monday, okay?"

"Alright, thanks again Mr. McMahon, bye."

"Goodbye."

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"Just stop! Please, stop!" Lilian cried, standing up from her chair as she watched Nelson miss a big splash in the corner. She knew all eyes were on her now as she clomped up the steps to the ring. "You really don't have to do this!"

She watched nervously as Charlie and Nelson stopped fighting, continuing, "I just want to be… friends with the both of you."

"Friends?" she heard Charlie scoff. "But I don't wanna be friends!"

"Whatchu talking about friends?" Nelson asked angrily, not prepared for when Charlie raked his eyes, letting out a yell when he was blinded.

"No! Stop!" Lilian yelled.

When Charlie started to walk away, she quickly rushed to help Viscera. He grabbed her small frame, tossing her behind her while she screamed. Her screams were silenced when he slammed her into the canvas.

Charlie and Nelson began laughing as the medics stretchered Lilian to the back. Once backstage, Lilian sat up, rubbing her throat.

"Ya alright?" she heard one of the medics ask.

"Yeah, I'm great, thanks." She smiled at him to prove her point, and then slid off the stretcher.

"You sure, babe?" Nelson asked nervously as he and Charlie watched Lilian stand, rubbing her still injured wrist carefully to make sure she really was okay.

"I'm fine, Nels," she said with a small smile, hugging him gently. "That was actually kind of a fun ride!"

"Yeah, well I didn't like doing it," Nelson grumbled, hugging her back. "Are you sure you're okay? Your throat-"

"-is fine. Thank you for your concern, but I've had enough pity today. I appreciate you being careful with me out there."

"It's not a problem, girl."

Lilian nodded to them, saying goodbye before turning and walking down the hall, her intent on getting out of there before any fans crowded the exit. She just didn't feel like talking to anyone. Lilian turned the corner, rolling her eyes when she saw who was leaning against the wall.

"Don't even," she snarled, breezing past him.

"Lil," he pleaded, catching her arm.

"Fuck off, Dwayne!" She ripped her arm away from him, glaring into his eyes.

He thought about letting her off, but decided against it. "No. I want to know what is going on. You haven't returned any of my calls, you hang up on me - I just want to know what is wrong."

"You," she spat. "You are what's wrong. Now if you'd kindly let me go, I will be on my way, I have to get packed and get home seeing as how I have surgery tomorrow morning." And with that, she left.

Dwayne shook his head, choosing to follow her instead of listening to her demands. "Lily-" he said timidly, stopping quickly when she turned around rapidly, taking a menacing step towards him, jabbing her finger in his chest as she spoke.

"No. Don't even use my nickname! Only my friends, people who I can trust NOT to rat me out to my boss can call me that!"

"Lilian-"

"You know, even Trish, who has been bugging me to see a doctor for the last few weeks, didn't betray me like you did! She never ONCE went to Vince about something personal like this!"

"Lilian, I was just-"

"You have some nerve, Dwayne! What, do you think you're some hot shot movie star now that you've had a few big roles?"

"Lilian!"

"No, Dwayne!" she said, bringing her hand up to her throat when it exploded in pain at the use of her loud voice, ignoring the group of WWE superstars who had silently converged to watch the altercation. "I want you out of my life!"

His mouth that was open as he was about to say something, snapped shut. "What?"

"You heard me," was all she said. She shook her head, pushing some hair behind her ear. "Do you know how bad you hurt me? I mean, I thought you were one of, if not my very best friend, but I guess not."

"I was trying to help you," he said softly.

"Help me," she scoffed. "Please, here's how you can help me - don't call me, don't try to come see me, just stay away from me and leave me the hell alone." Her eyes seared into his before she stormed off to the women's locker room, slamming the door behind her. She collapsed onto a bench, bringing her hand up to her face to cover her eyes as she began sobbing.

Trish and Maria entered the room slowly after the outburst they and most of the superstars had witnessed, Maria going to get some tissues and Trish settling down next to her friend on the bench and wrapping her arms around her, guiding the Latina's head to rest on her shoulder. "Shh, Lily, it's okay," Trish soothed, smoothing Lilian's hair down. "It's gonna be okay."

"How do you know?" Lilian sobbed, clenching Trish's shirt. Trish didn't answer, instead just holding Lilian tightly as she continued, "One of the risks with this surgery is permanent vocal loss. What if that happens to me?" she asked.

"You know you'll be just fine," Maria answered, handing Lilian tissues. "It'll be okay, you'll be back in no time better than ever."

Lilian sniffed, using the tissue to wipe her eyes. "I don't understand!"

Trish rubbed her friend's back. "I know girl, but you just have to know you're going to be perfectly okay. You're in good hands. And just think about all the flowers and gifts you're going to get." The Canadian nudged her friend, earning a slight smile.

"I feel so bad now for yelling at D like that," Lilian admitted. "I can't believe he went to Vince, though!"

Maria bit her lip, but Trish sent her a nod to continue. "Lil, Dwayne wasn't the only person that went to Vince."

Lilian paused for a second, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked between her two friends, who were now looking ashamed of themselves. "What?"

"Lil, Maria and I were going to meet with Vince when we bumped into Dwayne. We made the decision to talk to Vince as a group," Trish said softly, waiting for the explosion that was sure to follow. Instead, Lilian merely sighed, dabbing at her eyes.

"Okay," she finally whispered, standing up and walking to her locker for the night, opening it up and angrily shoving stuff into the bag, not even bothering to fold her clothes or organize anything. She was so mad right now…

"What are you doing, Lil?" Trish asked softly, standing so she was next to Maria.

"I have a flight to catch soon," Lilian said miserably.

Trish and Maria frowned. "We'll come visit you tomorrow okay?"

"Whatever," Lilian said, shrugging. She grabbed her bags and walked out of the room.

"Lil, can we talk?"

She spun around to face Dwayne again, tears spilling over on her cheeks. "No, we can't. And I'd be quite happy if we didn't talk for a long fuckin' time." She sniffed and started to turn around.

"I'd really like to talk with you before you go," he said softly.

"Oh? You would?" Using her free hand, she wiped her cheeks. "I would really like for you to leave me the hell alone, but that's just too damn bad because you know what? Sometimes people don't get everything they want!"

"Lily," he said cautiously, relieved when she didn't freak at the use of her special nickname. "I'm sorry. I really want what's best for you. I'm sorry for invading your privacy and going behind your back, but Lily… even if it means losing our friendship, I'd do it again."

"How can you say that, Dwayne?" she asked softly, not bothering to wipe the tears away.

Dwayne sighed, bringing his hands up to cup her cheeks, using the pads of his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "Lilian. You know that if you waited too long, you could have caused permanent damage to your voice. And I know that would have killed you. This business and your singing is your life, and I know you would be crushed if you couldn't do either anymore. I only want what is best for you."

Lilian stood silently for a few moments, stepping back. "I have a flight to catch," she whispered hoarsely, her voice almost gone from the screaming she had done tonight.

"Hey," he said, pulling her back to him for a hug. "I'll be there when you wake up, I promise."

She relaxed in his arms, against her will. "K," she said shortly.

He let her go reluctantly, watching her walk out of the arena.

"Man, you got it bad," Paul Levesque said, clapping him on the back.

"What?"

"Lilian," The Game said, chuckling.

"No, I don't," Dwayne defended.

"Yes, you do," Shawn Michaels said, the Showstopper stepping up next to his DX teammate and friend.

"Guys," Dwayne said with a laugh. "My divorce isn't even complete."

"Does it really matter?" Paul asked with a shrug.

"We all see how Lilian is with you and how you are with her," Shawn added.

"You need to tell her how you feel," Paul continued, "Before it is too late."

"What do you mean by too late?" Dwayne asked angrily. "It's a simple surgery-"

"Slow down, Rocky," The Game interjected smoothly. "I meant before someone else sweeps her off her feet."

"What do you mean?"

"Dwayne, Lilian's a very pretty girl. She has several guys running after her, willing to kiss her feet if she snapped her fingers," Shawn said softly. "So a word to the wise: don't wait."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

End Part 2


	3. Chapter 3

So... is gay. That is all.

-----------------

Lilian stepped out of the cab, pulling her duffel bag with her. She handed the driver the fee and then turned to face the hospital.

"Well isn't this fantastic," she muttered to herself.

Taking a deep breath of the summer morning air, she crossed the street. The glass doors slid open and she walked into the hospital, making her way to the front desk.

"May I help you?" the secretary asked.

Lilian noted her nametag read Laura. "Yeah, I've got a surgery scheduled for this morning."

The secretary smiled and said, "You'll need to go down this hall, the door is on your right for the patient admission room."

"Thank you," Lilian said politely, walking down the hall and arriving at her destination. She took a deep breath as she pushed open the door, relieved to see that the room was fairly empty sans an elderly man sitting in the corner of the room, reading a magazine. The last thing she needed was to be sighted by a fan and have the entire world know she was having surgery.

She walked up to the desk, waiting for the secretary behind the desk to open the window. "May I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, my name is Lilian Garcia. I'm scheduled to have surgery today."

"Okay, Lilian," the nurse said. "I just need your insurance card." Lilian handed the card over and waited for a few seconds for her to make a copy. "Okay. Have a seat over there and someone will be right with you."

She sat down with a heavy sigh. She looked around the room a few times and then opened her purse to get out her cell phone. The screen read that she had 7 new messages.

Her brow furrowed, but she flipped her phone open anyways. Three of the messages were voicemails, and the others were texts. The messages from Trish and Maria made her smile, as did Stephanie's. When she reached the final voicemail, she was half surprised to see it was from Dwayne.

Lilian debated on whether or not to listen to his message. Just as she was about to press the button, a nurse walked through the door.

"Lilian Garcia?"

She looked at her phone, and then threw it back into her purse. She smiled at the nurse and made her way over to the door. "How are you today, dear?" the nurse asked as she guided her down the hall.

Lilian shrugged slightly, saying, "Okay, I guess. I'm a little nervous."

"That's understandable," the nurse said comfortingly. "We're going to take good care of you, though." She gestured for Lilian to enter a room. Lilian entered, taking a deep breath as she looked around. "Now, this is just the room you are going to get changed in and prepped for the surgery. When you wake up, you will be in a regular hospital room, okay?"

Lilian nodded, settling down in a chair. "I just need to take your temperature and blood pressure," the nurse informed her.

"Okay," Lilian replied quietly. She was getting even more nervous as time went on. She really wished Trish or Maria or even Stephanie was here… but they had a house show scheduled.

When the nurse finished her regular duties, she handed Lilian a hospital gown. "Just change in to this, hon. If you put all your things into your bag, I'll be sure they get placed in your room."

"Thank you," she said with a small smile.

The nurse left. Lilian quickly changed into the gown. After she was done, she folded her clothes neatly and placed them inside her bag.

She sat back down, waiting for the nurse to return. Opening her purse, she took her phone out again. This time, she was positive she wanted to hear his message. She dialed the number to her mailbox and was about to press 1 when the nurse returned.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry but your phone needs to be off," the nurse said apologetically. Lilian nodded, turning the phone off and placing it in her bag. "Dr. Andrews will be in in a few moments to talk to you, then the anesthesiologist will be in to give you anesthesia."

"Okay," Lilian said, settling back in the comfortable chair as the nurse left. She briefly considered grabbing her phone to hear the message, but figured that it wasn't anything important. Dwayne probably just wanted to wish her luck today.

"Morning, Lilian. How's my favorite WWE ring announcer?" Dr. Andrews asked with a smile as he entered the room.

"I'm okay. Ready to get this over with and get back to work."

"That's my girl," Dr. Andrews said with a laugh, settling done next to Lilian.

"Now, Lilian, you know the procedure. It hasn't changed since the last time you had this surgery. Afterwards, you know you're going to be very hoarse and sore between 5 to 7 days. I would prefer you don't use your voice at all, not even to talk. If you have to talk, please just write it."

Lilian nodded. "Right, I remember."

"There'll be one difference. The polyps are quite a bit larger this time. I'm going to prescribe some pain medicine to you. I know I did last time, but I'm pretty sure you're going to want them after today," he explained.

"Well that sounds comforting," she joked.

"Just a precaution. I'd rather you not be in any amount of pain."

"I appreciate that," Lilian said with a smile. "How long do you think I'll need to stay in the hospital?"

"Just until tomorrow afternoon. We need to be sure that your throat doesn't swell up and restrict breathing." Lilian swallowed instinctively, covering her throat with her hand. Dr. Andrews chuckled at her movement, telling her, "It's never happened, so don't worry."

"Okay," Lilian said in a small voice. "I trust you, Dr. Andrews." She turned her head towards the door as a woman in a lab coat entered.

"Lilian, I'd like to introduce you to Dr. Daniels. She's our anesthesiologist. She'll be taking care of you today."

"Ms. Garcia, how are you?" Dr. Daniels asked, settling down next to Dr. Andrews.

"I'm okay," Lilian replied, wondering how many times she was going to answer that question today.

"Ready to get this over with, huh?" the young woman asked sympathetically.

"Yeah, definitely."

"Alright, let's get you into surgery."

All three of them stood up. Dr. Andrews held the door open for the ladies. Outside in the hallway was a hospital bed waiting for Lilian. She groaned inwardly as she laid down on the bed. Her stomach growled, reminding her that not being able to eat anything for 12 hours prior to surgery was really taking its toll.

Once they reached the operating room, Dr. Daniels put a gas mask over Lilian's nose and mouth. "Just take some deep breaths okay? When you feel like you're not really here, tell me so I can insert your IV with the anesthetic."

Lilian nodded, listening to what she was telling her to do. She alerted Dr. Daniels when she thought her legs were magically floating off the table. She winced when the needled pricked the inside of her arm and clenched her teeth as the fluids pressed into her veins.

"Okay, just count backwards from one hundred now and next thing you know you'll be in your own room."

Lilian looked up at the lights, thinking to herself, 'He really didn't show up. Figures.'

-------------

_Lilian forced her eyes open, wincing as the bright lights bore into her eyes. She moaned slightly, bringing a hand to her throat as she tried to swallow. God, her throat felt worse than it had in the past two weeks. She glanced around the room, surprised to see there was no one in the room… not even a nurse. _

_Lilian tried to breathe slowly, feeling her breath catching in her throat. She moaned again, feeling panicky as she tried to catch her breath. _

_She reached out, trying to find the nurse call button as she struggled to breathe. Lilian gripped the sheets, feeling downright panicked. _

"Whoa, settle down! Lilian, calm down! It's okay!"

Lilian slowly became aware of the voice calling her out of her nightmare. She was gasping for breath, very aware of the burning sensation in her throat. She brought her tear-filled eyes up, shocked to see his concerned brown eyes looking down at her.

"D..." she barely managed to choke out.

"Shhh," he soothed, rubbing over her hand with his thumb. "You aren't supposed to talk," he said softly.

She rubbed her throat, silently pleading for him to get her some water.

"Hang on." He left her side for a few seconds to fill up a plastic cup with water. He placed a straw inside and handed it too her.

She started to chug the water, but stopped and nearly spewed what was in her mouth from the burning sensations in her throat.

"Slow down, Lil."

She sipped on the straw, letting the cool water soothe her throat. Lilian lay back against the pillows, closing her eyes briefly before looking back at Dwayne, using her hands to gesture that she wanted a pen and paper. Dwayne complied, handing her a pad and pen. He watched as she slowly wrote on the pad, repeating what she wrote when she held the notepad up.

"'I'm sorry, D. I just had a bad dream.'" He nodded, then said, "It's okay, Lil. I figured because you were thrashing pretty badly." He watched as she wrote again. 'I didn't think you would be here.' He frowned slightly. "What do you mean? Didn't you get my message?"

Lilian shook her head, a confused look on her face as she tried to remember. "I called you earlier and left a message that I was running late but I would be there when you woke up," Dwayne explained.

Lilian nodded in realization, writing again. 'I tried to check my messages, but I had to shut my phone off.'

"Oh," Dwayne said, stroking her sweaty bangs back. "It's okay. I'm here now."

'Nobody came to see me,' she scribbled down.

He shook his head. "Yes they did, Trish and Maria were here shortly after I got in. They brought you that set of balloons," he said, gesturing to a large set of balloons that were tied to a basket filled with all sorts of candy.

Lilian studied the contents of her room. She started writing again, confused. 'I woke up before and nobody was in here. You weren't, those balloons and everything else wasn't in here.'

He read it and frowned. "Lil, you're just now waking up. You must've been dreaming."

Lilian shook her head, trying to gain her bearings. 'How long was I out of it? What time is it?'

Rock glanced at his watch and said, "It's 5:15. Your surgery was at 11:00."

'Why didn't you guys wake me?'

Rock chuckled, rubbing a hand across her cheek. "Babe, you just had major surgery. I'm sure if one of us would have woken you, you would have belted us."

Lilian wrote, Dwayne laughing at the one word she wrote as an answer. "Probably," he repeated, continuing to stroke her hand with his thumb. "So, how are you feeling?" She waved her hand from side to side, frowning slightly. "Sore?" She nodded, wincing as she touched her throat, writing out a question.

'Why are you here?'

Her expression confused him. He couldn't tell if she was angry, upset or grateful. "I promised you I'd be here when you woke up. When have I ever lied to you?"

She simply shrugged and placed her empty glass on the tray next to her bed. She turned to a fresh sheet of paper and wrote, 'You can leave now.'

He tried to keep his hurt hidden. "Do you really want me to go?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

She sighed as though she was annoyed and then scribbled down, 'I don't want to screw around with you right now, okay? My throat hurts and I just want to go to sleep.'

"Okay, Lilian," Dwayne said softly, his tone still confused as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'll come back later, okay?"

Lilian shrugged, hoping she indicated in her movements that she really didn't want him to come back. She watched as he left, then shoved the blankets off of her. She swung her legs down, walking over to the balloons and flowers, grabbing the card sitting in front of it with a shaky hand. Lilian opened it, smiling despite her misery when she saw an adorable kitten with a thermometer in its mouth on the front of the card.

She frowned slightly when she saw the message on the inside. Lil, Get Well Soon. Love ya, D. 'I thought he said these were from Maria and Trish,' Lilian thought to herself, jumping when a voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Lilian Anne Garcia, are you supposed to be out of bed?"

Lilian spun around, trying to catch her breath and calm her thumping heart. She opened her mouth to talk.

"Ah!" Stephanie said. She sat down the items in her arms and led Lilian to her bed.

Lilian laid back down, thankful that her heart beat had finally regulated.

"I passed Dwayne in the hall. He looked really sad. What'd you do to him?" Stephanie asked as she picked up her belongings.

Lilian flipped open to the page where she'd told him to leave and showed it to her friend.

"Damn Lil, cut the guy a break would you? He really likes you, in case you haven't noticed." When Lilian rolled her eyes, she decided to change the subject. "I brought you the new editions to Cosmo, People and Playgirl." The look on Lilian's face made Stephanie laugh. "I'm kidding, I did however, get you a nice, big book of all types of word puzzles."

Lilian grabbed the notepad, writing for a few moments before showing it to Stephanie. 'I guess what I don't finish I can put in my book I carry down to Raw.' Stephanie laughed at the mischievous look on Lilian's face, knowing that the little blonde hated when the crew teased her about that book, saying she had naked pictures of the guys and crossword puzzles in there.

"Seriously, Lil, how are you feeling?" Stephanie asked gently.

Lilian shrugged, writing, 'I hate not being able to talk.'

Stephanie nodded sympathetically, patting Lilian on the shoulder. "I know, hon. But it's just for a little bit. And just think, you'll be a lot better when you actually can talk again."

'Steph, I'm scared.'

"Why, Lilian?"

'Dr. Andrews said he was going to send the polyps to the lab for testing. Why does he need to do that?'

Stephanie shrugged. "I don't know, but I don't think it's anything bad. You know Dr. Andrews is the best and he'll take good care of you."

Lilian nodded and peered around to see what else Steph had.

"Hey now, Nosey Nelly, this is for later."

'What is it?'

"A surprise, but I won't be giving it to you."

'Then who?'

"A certain Rock, you may know him."

Lilian shook her head and looked for the remote to the TV that was turned off.

"C'mon Lil, don't be like this! You know that he really cares for you. Why won't you just let him baby and pamper you?"

Lilian opened her mouth to reply, stopping when she remembered that she wasn't supposed to talk. She grabbed the notepad, scribbling furiously. 'I'm not a little kid! Why can't people just let me fend for myself?'

Stephanie stared at the words for a few moments before meeting Lilian's harsh gaze. "Lil, no one thinks you're a little kid." Lilian shook her head and began to scribble, only to stare openmouthed as Stephanie grabbed the pad from her hands and threw it across the room.

"No, listen. Dwayne loves you, Lilian. He has for awhile. And I know you like him. Everyone does. The look in your eyes when you're with him tells the story. So why can't you accept that?"

Lilian merely glanced at the notepad across the room and Stephanie sighed, muttering to herself as she retrieved the paper and handed it to Lilian who scribbled something.

'Get out. And tell anyone else you see to leave me alone.'

Stephanie left without saying anything else. She reached the waiting room where she saw Dwayne sitting in one of the chairs.

"How'd it go?" he asked once she was seated next to him.

"She pretty much wrote out my assault."

"I'm sorry, Steph. This is all my fault. I should've just left her alone like she told me to."

Stephanie scoffed. "Please, that woman doesn't know what she wants. Trust me, she would've been just as pissed if you wouldn't have come. I actually think you being there with her made her realize something."

"I don't think having her tell me to leave is exactly what I was looking for."

"Shut up, Dwayne. I didn't mean that," Stephanie said with a slight laugh.

"Well, what do you mean?" Dwayne prodded, knowing that even in the outside world, the youngest McMahon liked to have an air of drama with everything that was said or done.

Stephanie sighed, settling back as she looked at Dwayne. "I think she realizes that she likes you. And she has no idea how to tell you."

-----------------------------

End part 3


	4. Chapter 4

As usual... we disclaim. Oh, and Rocky can feed jello to Katy anytime he wants.

----------------------

Lilian frowned, shoving the last few personal items of hers into her duffel bag, not even bothering to make sure her clothes were folded neatly.

"So, Lilian, how are you feeling?" She spun around when she heard Dr. Andrew's voice, smiling tightly for the doctor, waving her hand side to side to let him know she felt okay. "Any pain in your throat?" he asked, bringing his hands up to her throat, gently massaging the area. Lilian shook her head. "Open wide," he instructed, peering down her throat.

He nodded his approval. "Still red and swollen, but that's expected," Dr. Andrews finally said. "So for the next five days you aren't going to talk, right?" Dr. Andrews asked, crossing his arms slightly and smiling at the blonde.

Lilian shook her head again, giving Dr. Andrews what she hoped was an innocent smile. "Okay, I'll see you on Monday, then."

She smiled again and then walked out of the room. Letting out a huge sigh, she leaned against the wall and headed off the nurses station so one of them could call a cab for her.

"Need a ride?"

Lilian turned to see Dwayne standing there dressed in a pair of jeans and gray t-shirt with some sort of band logo printed on it. She glared at him. Shaking her head, she gave him the finger, trying not to break Dr. Andrew's rules already, at least not in the hospital.

Dwayne frowned. "Lil," he said, walking towards her. "Please, just let me take you home so you can save some money. I will drive real careful so I don't hurt your throat. I'll take you wherever you need to go. If you want something to drink, just let me know and we'll make a stop."

She scoffed and shook her head again. Lilian turned to the nurse's station, only to have Dwayne step in front of her. "She won't be needing a cab," Dwayne spoke up, smiling at the nurse on duty.

"Okay," the nurse said, all but melting at the megawatt smile Dwayne sent her way. Lilian turned back to Dwayne, glaring at him sharply. He simply ignored her look, placing a light hand on her shoulder, shaking his head when she shrugged his hand off, leading the way to the elevator.

"Can I at least carry your bags?" Dwayne asked, rolling his eyes when Lilian again flipped him off. "I take it that's a no," he muttered, jabbing the button for the ground floor.

He led the way out of the building, taking Lilian's bag from her. She opened her mouth to snap at him, remembering that she wasn't supposed to speak. Instead, she settled on an indignant look. "Wait here, Lil. I'm going to go get the car," Dwayne said.

She briefly considered running away, but remembered that her apartment keys were in the bag. Oh, well, she could always kick him out later…

He opened her door, attempting to help her inside. Lilian took notice of the way his jeans fit just right on him when he walked around the front of the car to the driver's side.

"Do you want anything before I take you home?" He looked over at her, starting the ignition.

Lilian shook her head, not bothering to face him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked once the car was pulled out on the street.

She shrugged. She felt fine, the pain pills were working wonders, on her mouth that is. Something about the medicine wasn't sitting right with her stomach. Lilian tried to push the gnawing pain to the back of her mind.

Seeing that she didn't want to really communicate, Dwayne sighed, focusing on the busy New York traffic. He couldn't stand the silence, so he flipped on the radio, turning to a rock station. A song by Guns and Roses came on, Dwayne singing softly along.

She glared at him, but he was oblivious to her look. How could he forget that singing in the car was something she really enjoyed… something that she couldn't do thanks to the surgery. 'Insensitive jerk,' she thought, bringing her attention back to the road.

'Oh, God,' she thought, her hand flying to her mouth when she felt the bile rising up her throat. "D, stop, please," she croaked out.

He looked over and gasped. Quickly, he jerked the car over to the shoulder of the road just in time for Lilian to swing the door open.

Dwayne followed suit, rushing over to her side. He pulled her hair back. "Oh, Lil, it's okay," he soothed, rubbing her back. "God, your throat!"

Lilian finally sat back up with her eyes closed. Her one hand was clenched around her stinging throat. 'What did I do to deserve this?' she thought pitifully. Resting her head back on the cool, leather seat, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on something other than the pain in her throat.

"Do you need anything?" Dwayne asked, brushing stray hairs out of her face when he realized she was finished vomiting. "You probably just want to go home," he commented, and she nodded repeatedly. "Are you sure you don't want to go back to the hospital?" Dwayne fretted.

"No, home," Lilian managed, regretting the action when her aching throat stung from speaking.

"Okay, home it is," Dwayne said softly, leaning in and kissing her on the forehead gently before running back over to his side of the car.

As he drove to her apartment, he cast worried glances over to her. Lilian's eyes were shut, a thin sheen of sweat evident on her forehead. Without thinking, Dwayne placed a hand over hers, relieved when she didn't pull away. After a few more minutes, he pulled into the parking garage to her apartment.

"Lil, we're home," Dwayne said softly, squeezing her hand. However, she merely turned her head, leaning against the window, oblivious to his voice. "Great… you're sleeping."

Sighing, but smiling as well, he scooped her into his arms and gently carried her into her apartment. He was relieved to see that she hadn't woken once he laid her down in bed. Dwayne watched her for a moment and then decided to head back out to his car and get her bag and medicine.

When he returned inside, Lilian was no longer laying in bed, but instead she was hunched over the toilet in her bathroom. Dropping her things, he ran in with her to pull her blonde hair out of her face.

Lilian leaned back against the wall with tears streaming down her cheeks from the stinging pain in her throat.

"I'm sorry," she managed to rasp, collapsing against Dwayne when he gently pulled her up and against him. "I'm so sorry."

"Shh," Dwayne whispered, settling down on the floor, pulling Lilian into his lap, surprised when she tucked her small frame into his chest rather than pulling away. "Don't talk… it's going to be okay… I promise," he soothed, running a hand over her back.

Lilian continued crying, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face into his shoulder. "It's okay," Dwayne repeated, allowing her to cry for several long minutes. "Come on, let's get you back to bed," Dwayne said with a sigh, brushing tears away from her eyes.

He stood carefully, being sure to avoid hurting his own injured foot, supporting Lilian's light body as the exhausted blonde wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her to the bedroom, laying her down on her bed.

"D, I-" she managed to croak out.

"No, hang on a second," he said, silencing her. He got off her bed and left the room in search of a notepad and a pen. After getting what he was in search of, he quickly returned back to Lilian's room, handing her the pad.

She wrote slowly, but when she finished, she handed the paper over to him. 'I'm really sorry, D, I don't know what is making me sick. But whatever it is, it's making my throat hurt even worse. Can you please get me some water or something?'

Dwayne smiled softly. "Of course," he told her. "I'm not going to put ice in it though. I don't think something cold will help you." She nodded in agreement. "Okay, I'll be right back."

True to his word, Dwayne returned a few moments later, a glass in his hand. He settled down on the bed next to her, helping the little blonde to sit up. Holding the cup up, he supported her as she drank the water slowly, rubbing a hand across her back as he did so.

"Better?" he asked. Lilian nodded, smiling gratefully at him as he helped her to lay back down, covering her carefully with the comforter. She picked up the pad and paper, scribbling something before holding it up for him to see.

"I'm sorry."

"Lilian, you don't have to be sorry. I'm sure it's just the painkillers. I'll have to call Dr. Andrews in a few and see if he can get your painkillers changed."

Lilian shook her head, frowning as she wrote.

"I'm not talking about that."

His brow furrowed. "What?"

Lilian looked at him and started to write again.

"Oh!"

She put her pen down, looking up at him with a face full of sorrow.

"Lil, you don't need to be sorry. It's okay," he assured, smoothing his hand through her hair.

'No, it isn't okay. I was a bitch. You helped me. I should've been thanking you, not yelling at you,' she wrote.

"It's fine, I promise. I understand. I would've acted the same way. But you're here and your throat is going to be perfect again, that's all that matters."

Lilian smiled up at him, happy he wasn't angry at her… because Lord knows that she deserved for him to yell at her for the way she had been acting the last few days. She set the pen down, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it gently.

"Are you hungry?" Dwayne asked softly, lacing his fingers through hers and squeezing back. Lilian shook her head no and Dwayne nodded in understanding. "Is your stomach upset?" She nodded in response, burrowing underneath the covers even further.

"Okay," Dwayne said with a sigh. "Why don't you try to sleep? I'm going to call Dr. Andrews and make some jello." Seeing the look of disgust on Lilian's face at that, he laughed. "Don't give me that face, missy," he said. "I know jello isn't your favorite food in the world, but it'll make your throat feel better."

Lilian nodded in agreement, grabbing the pen and paper again. She wrote for a few seconds, then shyly held up the paper.

"Will you lay down with me after you're done?"

"But of course!" He flashed her with that million-watt grin and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Now, would you like lemon, grape or cherry flavored jello?"

Lilian made another face and wrote, 'Lemon.'

"Lemon it is," he said, standing up.

She grabbed him by his arm and quickly scrawled across the paper, 'I don't keep that nasty stuff in my kitchen.'

He chuckled and nodded. "Okay, I'll run to the store and get it." He paused and looked across the room to the TV. "Do you want the remote?"

She nodded and he handed it to her. 'Thanks,' she mouthed.

"It's no problem, and you know it," Dwayne replied, bending down to kiss her forehead again. "I'll be back in a few okay?"

Lilian nodded, mouthing, "Okay."

_------------------------------ _

_She was walking on the stage of the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She stared out among the crowd, watching as everyone stood when she made her way to center stage. They began chanting, Lilian smiling widely when she realized what they were saying. _

"_Lilian! Lilian! Lilian!"_

_She gestured to her drummer to begin playing, nodding her head to the beat of the track. She opened her mouth to sing, but nothing came out. Lilian stared out to the crowd in horror, shocked when they began booing her lack of singing. _

Lilian sat up with a start, her hand immediately going to grasp her throat. She immediately became aware of her surroundings… she wasn't in Oklahoma. She was home… in New York.

"Lil? What's wrong?" Dwayne asked as he walked into the room, seeing the agitated look on her face.

She shook her head, trying to catch her breath. Realizing she had such a tight grip on her throat, she relaxed a little.

"No, you were thrashing around like crazy. What happened?"

She shook her head again, writing down with a shaky hand, 'I'm fine, nothing's wrong.'

He looked into her eyes for a long while before she finally broke down into tears again. Dwayne sat down next to her, pulling her back into his arms. "You're okay, shh," he said quietly, rocking her back and forth. "You want to talk about it? Wait, scratch that. Don't talk. You want to write about it?"

Lilian shrugged, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. With a sigh, she grabbed the pen and paper, writing for a long time before turning the notepad for him to read.

'I just had a nightmare, D. I was getting ready to sing in front of an Oklahoma crowd and when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. And then they started booing me because I wasn't singing. I just don't know what all that was about. It kinda scared me.'

"Why does it scare you?"

Lilian frowned, shaking her head as she wrote again. 'I just don't know why the polyps regrew, Dwayne. And I'm scared that this surgery may cause permanent damage to my throat. Last time I was back to speaking almost immediately, even though Dr. Andrews said not to talk. I'm still raspy and it hurts and I don't know why.'

"Oh I get it," he answered. "Lil, this isn't permanent right now. As rude as this might possibly sound, you are older, although you don't look it," he joked, earning a smile from the blonde. "But your body isn't going to be able to heal quite as fast as it did a couple years ago."

She nodded, still sniffing. 'I'm so stupid. I should have gone to the doctor when my throat first began to hurt.'

"You aren't stupid, don't say that about yourself. You have a performer's mentality. Believe me, going to the doctor was the last thing I wanted to do when I hurt my foot. When I realized it was injured, I just thought it was a sprain and I'd ice it and I'd be fine, obviously not."

"I feel like such a baby. You had major surgery and I'm whining over something that will only keep me out for about two weeks.'

"People deal with pain in different ways, Lil," Dwayne replied, running a thumb over the brace on her left wrist briefly before continuing. "The most important thing is that you heal well."

Lilian nodded, setting the pen and paper down. "Thank you," she murmured softly.

"You're welcome," Dwayne replied softly. "Even though you're not even supposed to be talking, you sound better." Lilian smiled, nodding in agreement. "Are you hungry?" She nodded again, noticing for the first time her stomach seemed to be settling. "How about some jello? Or soup?

She turned up her nose and sighed dramatically. She shrugged and reached for the paper.

"How about I'll bring you a little bit of both?" Lilian nodded. "But no hot sauce," he added, causing her to frown.

'Why?' she wrote frantically.

"Because, the doctor said to keep your Latina self away from it."

She jutted her lower lip out, pouting. Her shoulders slumped forward in defeat.

"You'll survive, I promise. After you're better, I swear that I will take you out for those...tee...things. I always want to call them testosterone."

She grinned and wrote down, 'Tostones?'

"Yeah, those. And for some pastries."

'Pasteles!'

"Geez, I'm sorry," Dwayne said with a laugh, holding up his hands in defeat as he stood. "I can sense that temper flaring even on paper!"

Lilian grinned at him, waving him away jokingly. "I'll be back, Lil," he told her, leaving her bedroom.

Lilian leaned back against her headboards, flipping through the channels before she was delighted to see 'Finding Nemo' was on. _Yes,_ she thought to herself, smirking when she realized that Dwayne was going to be less than happy to see the movie on. _Oh, well. I'm sick and we're watching what I want to._

"Oh hell no!"

Lilian turned to see Dwayne standing in her doorway with a tray in his hands. She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows.

"I refuse to watch a movie about animated fish, Lilian."

She pursed her lips together and sucked her cheeks in, giving her face a 'fish' look. She moved her lips back and forth and then grinned.

"Lilian…" Seeing her pouting again, he shook his head. "Okay. You win. But after this we're watching The Terminator."

Lilian's jaw dropped and she scrambled frantically to find the remote to change the channel. Dwayne laughed, stating, "That's what I thought!"

---------------------

End Part 4


	5. Chapter 5

R&R por fa vor

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The next few days went by slowly, for Lilian at least. The stinging pain in her throat seemed to never end. Dwayne made sure to take special care of her and to see if she needed or wanted anything. She always declined, knowing that if she ever really did need something, he'd be there.

On her fourth day home from the hospital, she walked into the living room where he was watching some of her old wrestling tapes and DVDs.

"D, I don't know what to do," she croaked out in a raspy voice.

His deep, chocolate eyes snapped up to her face. "What are you doing out of bed?"

Sighing, she sat down next to him. "I don't want to be in bed anymore."

"Shh," he hushed, reaching for a piece of paper and a pen.

"No! I'm sick of writing," she managed to rasp out.

"Lily, you're only making your throat hurt more," Dwayne chastised gently but firmly. "How about I get you some tea with honey? That seemed to help last night."

Lilian nodded, bringing her feet up on the couch and curling up into the soft cushions. She grabbed the remote, blushing slightly when she saw what Dwayne was watching. "Must you watch this scene?" she asked softly, finding that she didn't sound as horrible when she whispered.

"What? I like the song you sing to Viscera," Dwayne called back from the kitchen, knowing it was useless to chastise her for talking.

"Please… Vince didn't pay me enough to sing to him!" Lilian replied.

"Baby I've been thinking…" Dwayne sang loudly.

Lilian giggled hoarsely and leaned back into her couch. He walked back with in with a coffee mug in hand. He sat down next to her, handing over the tea.

"It's hot," he said softly.

Lilian nodded and took a sip, letting the warm liquid soothe her throat. "We should watch your Just Bring It DVD so we can see that interview I did before Unforgiven, the one about your strudel."

Dwayne grinned and threw his head back, laughing. "Oh, yeah Mama, don't think I've forgotten." He gently touched her knee, still grinning. "Where's the DVD at?"

"Pft… you think I actually have your DVD?" Lilian asked.

"Geez. Garcia, I'm wounded," Dwayne said, placing a hand on his heart and pretending to fall backwards.

"I'm just kidding, you big baby," Lilian whispered. "It's on that rack over there."

Dwayne grabbed the DVD, putting it in. After getting through the credits, he found the chapter that had the interview.

Lilian started giggling as soon as she started talking on the tape. "Listen to me! I sound so nervous. I said later on instead of earlier today!"

"Nah! You? Nervous? Why, I would never think such things, Lil," he said. "Clearly you were mesmerized by my incredibly perfect body."

Lilian snorted into her drink. "Yes, D, that was exactly it."

They watched for a bit longer and then he pointed at the screen. "Look at you! You can't keep your eyes off it."

Lilian turned a bright pink and looked down. "I was just acting!"

Dwayne nodded. "Sure you were." With his finger, he lifted her face up. "You turned this same color when I said you worked at the sperm bank."

"That's only cause Marc started laughing hysterically," Lilian said, referring to her timekeeper friend. She turned her attention back to the screen just in time to hear the Rock state a now infamous line. "I still can't believe you said I get wet when I stand close to you," she said, shaking her head.

"No, no, no," Dwayne said, shaking his finger at her. "Wet… WITH PERSPIRATION!"

"Yeah, yeah, perspiration," Lilian repeated softly, shaking her head. "You still surprised me."

"I think I surprised the crowd, too," Dwayne added with a laugh. "Aw, you look like a chastised school girl here!"

Lilian frowned. "I was still fairly new though."

He sympathized and rested his hand on her now blanket covered leg. "I know, but that was a great segment. You did really well."

She smiled faintly. "Well, at that time, I will admit I was attracted to you."

"At that time?" he questioned. "What about now?"

Her green eyes gave him a once over and then she cringed. "No, then was better."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dwayne asked softly, though his voice held no traces of hurt.

Lilian remained quiet, shaking her head slightly before softly replying, "I was kidding, D. I still think you're attractive." They sat in a slightly uncomfortable silence, watching as the segment faded back to the main menu. With a small sigh, Lilian placed her cup on the table in front of her, leaning back against the couch.

"You look tired, Lil," Dwayne pointed out.

"I am."

"Then go to bed, Lil. You're allowed."

She shook her head, smiling at Dwayne. "I've spent the last four days on my back… and if you weren't here with me the last four days to know what that means that would sound so wrong."

He looked at her, and then burst into laughter. "Lil, you set yourself up way too easily to get joked on."

She pushed out her lower lip into a pout. "You are so mean to me."

He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her in for a hug. "But you know I love you!" he said, half joking.

Lilian stayed silent at his words, and then quickly spluttered out, "Of course you do."

He let her go and cleared his throat. "Why don't you get some rest and I'll go call Dr. Andrews to ask why your throat is still hurting."

He stood up, but Lilian remained seated, laying down on the couch. "I'm not moving," she told him, her voice holding somewhat of a whine as she curled up, grabbing the throw pillow and placing it under her head.

Dwayne rolled his eyes. "Oh, now who's the big baby?" he teased, grabbing her cordless phone before walking back to the couch. Her response was to close her eyes and flip him the bird, snuggling further underneath the warm blanket.

He laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Sit up for a minute, okay?"

"Don't wanna!" Lilian whined hoarsely, though Dwayne could tell she was playing.

"Please… so I can sit down to?"

Lilian pretended to be huffy at this, sitting up briefly so he could settle down, putting his injured foot on her coffee table. Once he was settled, he guided her head back down so it was resting on his lap.

Lilian closed her eyes as his fingers began to glide softly over her forehead and through her hair.

With his other hand, Dwayne dialed the doctor's phone number and waited for him to answer.

"Make sure you don't get nasty foot funk all over my coffee table," she said, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Yes ma'am," he said, smiling.

"Dr. Andrews' office," came the light voice on the other end of the phone.

"Hi, this is Dwayne Johnson, I've been taking care of one of his patients for the past couple of days after her surgery and I just needed to ask a few questions," he explained.

"Alright, please hold."

After a few moments of horrible doctor's office music, Dr. Andrews picked up. "Mr. Johnson? This is Dr. Andrews. How is Lilian?"

"She's doing better, but her throat is still hurting her," Dwayne replied, still running his hand across Lilian's forehead.

"Hmm… usually after the second day after the surgery, that pain goes away," Dr. Andrews said slowly. "Does her voice sound hoarse when she talks?"

Dwayne hesitated, then said, "She isn't really supposed to talk."

"Yeah, she isn't… but it's Lilian we're talking about here," Dr. Andrew's said with a small laugh.

Dwayne laughed too before replying, "Yeah. She does."

"Hmm… can you bring her to my office tomorrow? I want to check up on her to make sure we didn't hit a vocal chord or something," Dr. Andrews told her.

Dwayne immediately froze at the thought and took a moment to get his goodbyes out.

"What'd he say?" Lilian asked, growing even drowsier.

"Uh, he wants to see you tomorrow."

"Why?"

He put the telephone on one of the end tables, next to a lamp. "He wants to make sure that he didn't hit a vocal chord during the surgery," he said slowly.

"What!" Lilian shot up off his lap, turning to stare at him. She immediately regretted yelling. "He said what?" she asked, softer this time.

"Lil, calm down," Dwayne said soothingly, attempting to guide her back down.

"No, I will not calm down," Lilian said hoarsely, her hand going to her throat as she stood up. "What does he mean by that?"

"I… I don't know, Lil," he said, standing up as she started pacing. "Just calm down. I'm sure you're-"

"What?" Lilian asked, her breath coming in short bursts, meeting Dwayne in the center of the room. "You're sure I'll be okay? That's what you said when you made me go for this stupid surgery in the first place!"

"Lil-"

"Damn it, D. I knew this was a mistake. I knew I should have just fought through the pain. I should have never listened to you or Vince or Maria or Trish!" she cried hoarsely, dropping to her knees.

"Shh, it's going to be okay," Dwayne said softly, dropping down as well, pulling her into his arms.

"No!" she shouted, jerking herself away from him. She stood up and turned her back on him.

He stood as well, walking to her and placing his hands on her arms. "Lil, I'm-"

She spun around, with angry tears gleaming in her eyes. "You're what? Sorry!" Balling her fists up, she began to pound on his chest, over and over.

Dwayne stood there, unsure of what to do. He decided to stand there and allow Lilian to get her frustrations out.

"Huh, D, you're sorry? Is that it!" she shouted, her blows beginning to weaken. "Sorry?" she said, almost in a whisper. Her arms dropped and she rested her head against his chest that she was just beating on, letting the tears fall.

Dwayne nearly fell back, hesitantly wrapping his long arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him when he regained his balance.

Lilian wrapped her arms around his waist, clasping her hands tightly as she sobbed loudly, gasping for breath, the action bringing severe pain to her throat. He merely held her, holding them both up as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm so sorry, Lilian," he murmured, a tear rolling down his own cheek and dropping into her hair. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

She quieted down, listening to him murmur apologies over and over.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

Lilian detangled her arms from around his waist, pulling back slightly and was met by his confused look. He opened his mouth to apologize again, but Lilian raised her hand and covered his lips with two fingers. Shaking her head softly, she leaned up on her tiptoes and replaced her fingers with her lips.

Dwayne simply stood, there, shocked as she kissed him. Before he knew it, her lips were gone. Seeing the shocked look on his face, Lilian shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said hoarsely. "I crossed the line. I shouldn't have-"

It was Dwayne this time who cut her off. He didn't even speak, though; rather, his lips crashed down on hers, his hand finding the base of her neck as he pulled Lilian closer to him.

Lilian kissed him back, pushing him down on the couch, pushing his back against the couch, her knees moving to straddle his hips. "Lil," he murmured against her lips, whimpering softly when her hands found their way to his hair.

"Please, Dwayne," she whispered. "Don't talk."

"Lil, wait," he breathed against her neck.

"What?" She pulled back, a look of hurt apparent in her eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" His eyes lingered down to where her hands were reaching under his shirt.

Lilian swallowed and nodded. "Unless you don't want to..."

"I do, but is this the right thing to do at this time?"

She bit her lip and moved to sit on the couch, diverting her eyes from his as her cheeks flushed red. "Sorry."

"Lily, you have nothing to be sorry about… it's just that we're both hurt and emotional right now… besides, I don't think… um… moaning will be good for you throat," he said quickly, blushing deeply.

"I guess you're right," Lilian replied, flushing as well, settling back against the couch. "Would you…"

"Would I what?"

"Would you mind laying with me tonight? I mean, I know we've slept in the same bed the last four nights, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable… especially considering what just happened."

"Lil… it's no big deal. When the time is right…"

"Yeah," she said, knowing what he was trying to say.

The pair left the couch, entering Lilian's bedroom. Self-consciously, she grabbed a pair of cotton pajama pants from Old Navy and a matching tank top, and headed for the bathroom to change.

Dwayne sighed and undressed to his boxer shorts. He jumped a little when Lilian reappeared.

"D...I...uhm..."

He shook his head, smiling softly. His hands found hers and he lead her to the bed. "Listen to me," he said, helping her into bed and joining her himself. "I don't want you to fret over this, okay?"

She nodded and rested her head on the pillow.

"If you still feel weird tomorrow, we'll talk about it. But I want you to know that I liked it, and if you were completely yourself right now, I wouldn't have stopped, or been able to stop for that matter."

"I liked it too," Lilian said softly, burrowing deeply under the covers. Dwayne did the same, hesitantly wrapping his arms around her. When she didn't flinch, he pulled her closer, draping one leg over her legs.

"Dwayne… thank you so much," Lilian whispered into his bare chest.

"For what?"

"For understanding… for accepting me."

"It's no big deal, Lily," he whispered back, placing his chin on top of her forehead once his head hit the pillow as well. "Good night, Lil."

"Night, D."

And with that, the two fell into a peaceful sleep; a sleep that neither had had in awhile.

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End Part 5


	6. Chapter 6

As usual, we disclaim. Enjoy... tis a long one!

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Lilian woke up slowly, enjoying the feeling of Dwayne's arms wrapped around her. Automatically, her hand went to her throat, relieved that it felt somewhat better than what it had felt like the day before.

Wiggling slightly, she moved out of Dwayne's arms, glad that she didn't wake him. She walked to the bathroom reaching in and turning the water on as she glanced at her CD player that was built into her wall.

It was something that everyone who set foot into her apartment teased her about, but Lilian loved to sing in the shower. So the CD player was a necessity for her. Sighing, she flipped open the cover, putting in one of her favorite CD's to listen to while she took her shower.

Meanwhile, Dwayne woke up just moments after she had the bathroom door shut. He smiled to himself and stood up. After making the bed, he pulled a t-shirt on and walked to the kitchen to make breakfast.

In the shower, Lilian let the hot water massage her back and work out its magic on her tense muscles. As the next song began to play, she smiled and without thinking, began to sing.

"You're love is like a tidal wave spinnin' over my head. Drownin' me in your promises better left unsaid. You're the right kinda sinner to release my inner fantasies. The invincible winner and you know that you were born to be!"

Her fingers immediately found her mouth. She ripped the shower curtain away, grabbing one of the plush towels hanging on the rack and went running to find Dwayne.

"Dwayne!" she called excitedly, running into her bedroom. "Where the hell are you?" she asked to herself when she saw the bed was made and he was nowhere to be seen.

She ran into the kitchen, spotting him by the refrigerator. "Dwayne!" she said happily, running to him and launching all of her 110 pounds into his chest before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Whoa, there Mama," Dwayne said with a laugh, managing to balance her and the carton of eggs in his hand at the same time, wrapping his free arm across her back. "Why are you so happy?"

"It's back, D! It's back!" she cried happily, smiling up at him.

"Uh… Lil, dear, did you lose your mind or something?" Dwayne asked playfully, not understanding what she was talking about.

"No!" she exclaimed. "Listen!"

She got down quickly and started to sing more of the song from the shower. "You're a heartbreaker! Dream maker! Love taker! Don't you miss around with me!"

A wide grin quickly spread across his lips. He quickly put the eggs down and swept her back into his arms. "Your voice is back!"

She returned the hug and had an equally wide smile on her face. "I know! Oh God," she said breathlessly.

He put her down, still smiling. And then they both made the mental note that she was dripping wet and was only being covered by a towel that barely came down to her knees.

"Um… wow," Dwayne managed to say first, his eyes shooting briefly over her slender body before meeting her eyes. Lilian subconsciously reached up, tightening the towel around her body and making sure the towel was secure with her uninjured right hand.

"This is awkward," Lilian said with an embarrassed laugh, stepping back from Dwayne. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize…"

"It's okay, Lil," Dwayne said with a laugh of his own. "I guess this gives new meaning to the phrase making you wet…"

"Don't even go there!" Lilian exclaimed, happily reaching up to touch her throat. "I can't believe this! I am so happy!"

Instinctively, she reached up, placing her hand behind his neck and pulling her to him, kissing him gently on the lips. Dwayne slowly closed his eyes and kissed her back softly. Lilian let her tongue run over his lower lip and there was no hesitation on his end this time.

She pulled away before things got too heated. "Sorry," she murmured.

"It's fine," he said softly, waiting for his head to stop spinning.

"I just got excited," she explained. He nodded. "I guess now I don't have to go back to see Dr. Andrews," she added hopefully.

He laughed. "Don't think so, we still need to get you checked out just to make sure."

"Aw, I guess you win," Lilian said happily, flashing her trademark grin at him, her green eyes shining with relief. "Though I am so happy you could suggest I have a Jello wrestling match with Viscera on the next pay per view and I would probably go along with it."

"Okay, Lil, that's just gross," Dwayne said with a grin, kissing her forehead. "You go finish your shower and I'll finish making breakfast while I try to get the image of Viscera covered in Jello out of my head."

"Okay," Lilian said happily, standing on her toes to kiss him again. "I'll be back in a few."

Dwayne watched her go, shaking his head. That girl sure was a spitfire…

--------------

Later that afternoon, after Lilian's visit with Dr. Andrews, the pair headed out to get some lunch. The doctor was pleased to see Lilian's voice had returned, but advised her to take it easy and rest her voice as much as possible before returning back to work the next week.

"So Lilian, now that your voice is back," Dwayne asked in pure TV Show Host fashion, "What are you going to do next?"

Lilian laughed and put down her sandwich. "I'm going to Disney World!"

They both laughed and quickly finished lunch before heading over to Central Park. They started to walk along the paved path, their hands brushing ever so often until Lilian finally grabbed his, lacing their fingers together.

Dwayne tensed slightly, though not enough for Lilian to notice. He relaxed, pushing the nagging voice about his impending divorce to the back of his head.

"Look, Dwayne, it's the Central Park Zoo," Lilian pointed out with a small grin, nudging him in the ribs.

"Aw, do you want to see the monkeys?" Dwayne asked playfully.

"Why do I want to see the monkeys when there is one walking right next to me?" Lilian asked, giggling when Dwayne grabbed her around the waist.

"You're gonna pay for that one, Garcia," Dwayne threatened, lifting her easily over his shoulder.

"Put me down you big ape!" Lilian yelled, smacking his back with her hand.

"Oh, so now I'm an ape?"

"Yes! So put me down!"

She screamed slightly and then he lowered her down where she fell.

"Oh my God, Lilian...I am sorry!" He dropped down quickly to help her back up.

But she was laughing. "Oh, thanks!" she said in between giggles.

He couldn't help but smile. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to drop you like that. You were just squirming and wiggling everywhere."

She accepted his hand and stood up. "Are you comparing me to a worm, D? That hurts." She pouted and crossed her arms.

"A very sexy worm," Dwayne replied, but even he knew that was lame.

"But a worm? God, Dwayne. Let me compare you to… a, um…"

"Tiger?"

"No, they're cute."

"And I'm not?"

"Hmm," Lilian said, stroking her chin as she pretended to contemplate this.

"God, woman, you wound me," Dwayne said with a shake of his head, wrapping his arm across Lilian's shoulders. She lay her head on his shoulder, allowing him to guide her though the park.

"Well D," she began, "I don't know if I'd ever say you were cute. I say little puppies and babies are cute, and you're definitely not a baby." She looked up at him, grinning, and winked.

"Oh, I get it now - so I'm just flat out sexy."

You're damn right, she mentally thought. Instead, she snorted. "Sure, you just keep telling yourself that."

"Fine then! I'll just keep what I think about you to myself." He turned his head and kept his eyes straight on the path.

"Hey! That's not fair," she protested.

"La la la… I can't hear you," Dwayne teased in a sing song voice, wincing slightly when Lilian's hand came up and smacked him in the chest. "Gosh, Lil, you're going to leave bruises all over my sexy body. And I can think of some people who won't like that."

"Like who?" Lilian challenged.

"Oh, Maria, Trish, and Stephanie," Dwayne replied, laughing at the shocked look on her face. "All the women on the roster. You know they're all hot for me."

"God, you are so arrogant sometimes," Lilian muttered with a shake of her head. "But seriously," she started, only to have her eyes widen. "D, look," she exclaimed, pointing.

Across the park a little ways was a carriage being pulled by two horses, both pitch black. Lilian knew from living in New York City that someone had to call the company who ran the carriages in order for a ride. She remembered seeing a lot of happy girls with their boyfriends, fiancés or husbands climbing into the carriage.

"Okay, are you going to move off the sidewalk or what? Those horses are going to run us over."

He smiled. "They'll stop."

"No they won't!"

But they did stop a few feet in front of them. "Did you two want a ride?" the person driving the horses asked with a sly grin.

"Can we?" Lilian asked eagerly, earning a smile from the man.

"Sure! Hop on."

"Ladies first," Dwayne gestured with a smile.

Lilian looked up hesitantly, bringing her gaze back down to Dwayne's injured foot. "Um… as much as I appreciate the gentlemanly offer, it would probably be easier for you to get in first," she pointed out. "Besides, then you can help me up cause my legs are so damn short."

Once inside the carriage, he wrapped an arm around her, drawing her in closer.

Lilian turned to him, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "Did you really do this for me?"

He scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself, Garcia." Then he grinned. "Yes, I did. Do you like it?"

She grinned and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, D. This is so sweet." They sat together, Lilian laying her head against his shoulder, scooting closer to him. "God, D. Central Park is beautiful. But while being pulled by horses it's simply amazing."

"You're pretty amazing yourself, Lil," Dwayne said softly, using his finger to tilt her chin upwards. Lilian closed her eyes and within a few seconds, his lips met hers in a gentle kiss.

"D…" Lilian said softly, shivering when he gently bit down on her lower lip. "What exactly are we?"

Dwayne hesitated for a moment, pulling back from the little blonde. "What do you mean, Lil?" he asked softly, lacing his fingers through hers. "Talk to me."

"I… I just don't know, D. I like you. A lot. But…"

"But what?"

She frowned and started to chew on her nail. "But...you're going through your divorce with Dany. I know it isn't messy or anything, it's just something you two have agreed upon. I know you'll still get to see Simone and...I don't know."

"Lil, I like you too, a lot. I really think I'm fal-"

"Okay you two, here we are," the driver interrupted.

Dwayne stood up. Both he and Lilian were disappointed, but got off the carriage merrily.

"Now what?" she asked, sliding her hands into her front jean pockets.

"I think that we should continue this conversation," Dwayne said softly, taking Lilian's hand from her pocket and guiding her to an empty bench.

With a sigh, Lilian sat uncomfortably, folding her arms defensively as Dwayne dropped next to her, stretching his foot out in front of him. "I see a vendor over there. Do you want a drink or something?" Lilian suddenly asked, standing up, only to have Dwayne easily grab her wrist to keep her from moving any farther.

"Lilian. Sit," he ordered gently.

With a frown, Lilian sat, folding her arms again. "I'm not a dog, you know."

Dwayne sighed, keeping his hand on her wrist. "Lily… of course you're not. But I don't want you running away at the prospect of us having a serious conversation."

She began to chew on her bottom lip and her eyes searched elsewhere. "Well...I don't think we should have a serious conversation in a public park," she said finally.

He placed his finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Then where would you like to go?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

Dwayne nodded. "Okay, how about we go rent a movie and head back to your place and just see what happens?"

Lilian smiled slightly. "Alright, but I'm picking the movie."

They stood up and he chuckled softly. "No chick flicks."

By the time they arrived back at her apartment, both she and Dwayne were exhausted. He watched as Lilian put the DVD in the player, then turned hesitantly, standing nervously as she wrung her hands.

"Lil, come here," Dwayne said, lifting his legs up so they were resting on her ottoman. Lilian shuffled over, giving a gasp of surprise when Dwayne pulled her down into his lap. He easily moved her, placing his arms around her waist. Lilian shifted so she could wrap her arms around his neck, resting her legs on the couch.

"D… let me go," Lilian protested. "I'm gonna hurt you."

He chuckled, his breath tickling her ear. "Lily… I've had men four times your weight fall on me. I don't think you'll hurt me here."

"Okay, but if I do, it's your fault."

"Okay," he answered.

"I thought I said no chick flicks," Dwayne said halfway through the movie she rented, The Lake House.

Lilian shrugged and looked away mischievously. "Well, uhm...I really like Sandra Bullock. And Keanu Reeves is adorable."

"Oh here we go again. I'm going to have to go to therapy soon, you're damaging my self esteem."

"Shh," she said, focusing on the screen.

Lilian felt her cheeks turn red when Sandra Bullock's character finally professed her love for Keanu Reeves. Bad idea, she scolded mentally.

Hesitating, she glanced at Dwayne, not surprised to see an amused look on his face. "So why did you pick this movie?" he asked. "And don't tell me it's cause you like Keanu Reeves."

With a sigh, Lilian closed her eyes, resting her head against Dwayne's chest. "Dwayne…" she murmured, her words muffled by his shirt.

"What, Lil?" he asked softly, soothingly. "Just talk to me. We've known each other for close to seven years now."

"That's what I'm scared of. I don't want... I don't want a relationship to ruin our friendship," Lilian finally murmured, lifting her face to meet his intense gaze.

"It won't, Lily," Dwayne replied. "I promise I won't let that happen. I care way too much for you."

"But D, what about your divorce? It's not complete yet. And what about what people will think?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I don't care what people think."

"You will if it effects your movies. I don't want to be the reason your fame and everything goes

downhill. People are going to talk," she added solemnly.

"You won't effect my movies, Lil. And it isn't like we're going to go get married tomorrow. You know Dany loves you, so does Simone, so don't even think about bringing her into this," he said, knowing what was next to come out of her mouth.

Her eyes narrowed. "You're taking all my arguments away from me!" She laughed a little and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "I just...I don't know. Maybe I should talk to Dany."

Dwayne shook his head, laughing slightly. "Oh, yeah I can see that. 'Dany, do you mind if I date your ex-husband?'" he asked in a high falsetto. "Then insert a long moment of silence."

Lilian laughed, slapping his chest. "I guess I won't be calling Dany anytime soon." She stopped laughing, quickly becoming solemn again. "You seem like you want this as much as I do."

"I do," Dwayne said softly. "Lilian, I've always liked you. Since the moment I first saw you."

"I know D.," she said slowly, closing her eyes briefly before murmuring the next words. "And I think I'm ready to take our friendship to the next level."

Dwayne smiled, resting his forehead against hers. "Lily, I just want you to know that this makes me so happy. If my movie career were to die right now, I wouldn't care. Because you're the only one that matters to me."

Lilian giggled. "Since when did you become a hopeless romantic?"

He faked a sniffle. "Are you...are you trying to say I'm cheesy?"

"Extremely," she answered without hesitation. "No, I'm just kidding, D. I really -"

Her phone rang. Clenching her jaw, she leaned over him to reach for the phone on the table. "Hello?"

"Lilian!" Vince McMahon's voice boomed. "How are you feeling?"

She sat up, picking at invisible lent on her couch. "I'm doing a lot better today. My voice is finally back and my throat isn't as sore." She looked over at Dwayne and mouthed, 'Sorry, it's Vince.'

Dwayne nodded, leaning back against the couch, watching as Lilian spoke to her boss. "Well, that's good," he heard Vince say. "I know I told you to take all the time you need, but do you have any idea when you may be back?"

"Well…" Lilian said, glancing down at Dwayne. "Dr. Andrews said I can go back as soon as I want. I was going to call you-" she began, glaring playfully at Dwayne when his hand found its way underneath her shirt.

"Oh, good," Vince cut her off, relief in his voice. "Can you be back Monday?"

"Sure," Lilian said, slightly flattered. "Can I ask why so soon?"

"Well, it's just that Todd isn't doing too well. He announced the Intercontinental championship as the cruiserweight championship. And the crowd booed him out of the arena ," Vince told her, choosing to ignore the fact that Lilian burst out laughing at this. "So, can you be back Monday?" he pressed, the desperation almost evident in his voice.

Her head jerked around as she felt his fingers undo the clasp on her bra. She tried to tell him to stop, but an odd, guttural sound was the only thing that came out.

"What?" Vince asked.

"I...yeah, of course, I'll be there Monday."

"Great! I don't think we'll be doing much more with Vis and Charlie though. They might have a match here and there, but you'll only have to look put out and cheer on the other person," Vince rambled.

Lilian nodded, wanting desperately for this conversation to be over. "That sounds good, Vince. If you come up with something though, just let me know - I'm sure it'll be great."

"Okay," Vince agreed. "Oh!" Lilian nearly groaned, her back hitching as Dwayne kissed the hollow of her throat.

"What?" Lilian asked, the word coming out sounding somewhat strangled as she shifted off of Dwayne's lap, placing her knees on either side of his legs.

"I just wanted to tell you that since the surgery was somewhat related to your career in the WWE, we'll take care of everything. So if you get any bills, just forward them to headquarters. Okay?" Vince told her.

"Okay." The word came out more like a squeak. "I appreciate it," Lilian rushed, her voice rising slightly when Dwayne's hands found their way to her back.

"Okay, Lilian," Vince answered, confusion evident in his voice. "See you Monday."

"See you Monday." With that she hung up, glaring down at Dwayne playfully.

"That was not very nice," she chided.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me, honestly."

"I could've lost my job! What if...no. I don't even want to think about it right now."

"But what if what, Lil?" he pressed, his lips spreading into a grin. "What if my hands, oh, I don't know, slipped?"

"Yes, what if they slipped? Then we'd both be in trouble." She went to move off his lap, but his hands found her thighs and held her there. "So now you're holding me hostage?" Lilian asked with a giggle.

"No… holding someone against their will is illegal," Dwayne teased.

"Oh, that's it," Lilian said playfully, her fingers finding the hem of Dwayne's shirt. "You know, paybacks are a bitch."

"How so?" Dwayne asked, lifting his arms so Lilian could pull his shirt over his head, watching as she tossed the material to the side.

"Well, I'll wait till you're on the phone with Stephen Spielberg or someone and you'll see," Lilian threatened, bending down so she could kiss his neck.

"Lily," he breathed, closing his eyes at the sensation of her lips against his neck. "Are you sure you want this?"

She sat up, leaving her hands on his bare chest. She kept her eyes locked on his as her hands slid down to unbuckle his belt.

"I don't know, are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm just asking you now," he said, his voice thick and rich. "Because I'm not stopping this time. I don't think I'll be able to stop."

"Okay then." Lilian pulled the belt out of the loops in his jeans and threw it somewhere by his shirt. "Then there isn't a problem."

"Wait, Lil," Dwayne said huskily, easily standing. Lilian wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, Dwayne clasping his hands across her lower back. "If we're gonna do this, I want to do it right," he explained, seeing the confused look on her face.

He carried her to the bedroom, laying her gently on the bed. "Are you ready now?" Lilian asked softly, smiling up at Dwayne as he positioned himself over her.

"You bet."

--------------------

End Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Lilian walked into the arena Monday afternoon feeling refreshed and eager. She saw a couple of crew members and smiled at them.

She reached the locker room the other divas were using and pushed open the door. Her grin quickly disappeared though when she saw that it was empty. Frowning slightly, she put her bags down and went in search of a familiar face.

She saw JR talking to one of the indy wrestlers that would be putting on a dark match before the show went live. After he was done, she walked up to him.

"Hey JR!"

"Hi Lilian," he said, giving her a friendly hug. "How's the throat?'

"Great! I feel so much better now. I'm really glad I went and had it done."

JR smiled. "That's good. I knew you would."

"Yeah… and to think I put up such a fight with everyone."

"Well, Lil, you're only human. We don't like to think of ourselves hurting, and when we do, we often need someone to give us a kick in the butt," he said, winking at the diva.

"Yeah, I guess so," Lilian said with a shrug. "Look, JR, have you seen any of the divas? The locker room is empty and I just wanted to make sure that they aren't planning on ambushing me or something."

JR frowned slightly, glancing at his watch. "I know there was a meeting scheduled for three o'clock. You should go to that too. Didn't the stagehands tell you?"

"No," Lilian replied with a roll of her eyes. "I better get going then. Thanks, JR."

"Welcome. See you later, Lil," the older man replied, watching as she walked off, her intent on getting to the meeting in time.

Lilian walked through the halls of the arena, lost in her own thoughts. It wasn't until a cold voice called her name that she looked up, meeting the sarcastic look of Jonathon 'The Coach' Coachman.

She grimaced and sighed. "Excuse me, Coach."

He smirked. "Well, hello there little Miss. Homewrecker."

She scoffed. "What?"

"Oh, you're going to play dumb? Maybe the doctor knocked a few screws loose while he was in your mouth. Ha!" He laughed to himself. "I guess putting things in your mouth is what got you in this position in the first place, isn't it?"

Her eyes narrowed and she tried to keep her cool. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Jonathon. But if you'll please excuse me, I need to get to a meeting."

"Don't bother, it just ended."

"You're full of shit, Coach. JR just told me that the meeting started at three."

"Well, Blondie, he's wrong. It was from two to three. Not like you should be there. You're not a true diva," The Coach said, raising his hand to brush a strand of hair out of her face.

Before he knew what was happening, Lilian grabbed his hand, bending the Executive Assistant's fingers backwards. "Ow," Coach said, his voice coming out strangled. "You bitch-"

Lilian applied more pressure, Coach dropping to his knees involuntarily. "First of all," Lilian said sweetly, keeping a grip on is hand. "Never call me Blondie. Second of all, do not ever touch me again. Thirdly, you know nothing about me and my role in this company. So don't you EVER insult my integrity again. Got it?" He didn't respond, and Lilian bent his fingers back a little further. "GOT IT?"

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Coach replied, scrambling to his feet and shaking his hand when Lilian let go of her grip. "I don't know how the Rock handles you," he muttered.

"What'd you just say?" she asked, her voice quieter this time.

He rubbed his hand. "Damn, that hurt!" He glared at her once more and then stormed off, but not before he could shove a New York newspaper at her.

Lilian shook her head and had half the mind to chunk the paper. But instead, she looked at the headline and suddenly began to shake.

The bold letters read: DIVA CAUSES SMACKDOWN DIVORCE

Her jaw dropped and she backed against a wall to lean on. She threw the paper down and ran back to the locker room to get her phone.

With shaking hands, it took her several moments to find his name in her phone book. By the time her shaking hands found the number and pressed the send button, she was near tears.

'Fuck,' she thought as his voicemail kicked in. "D. It's me. Call me when you get this," Lilian said shortly, hoping her voice didn't sound too panicked. With a sigh, she set her phone down, turning, her palm on her forehead as she began pacing.

"Uh, hey Lil," Trish said softly, breaking her friend out of her thoughts a few moments later. "Mr. McMahon is looking for you."

"Fabulous. That's just fucking great," Lilian snapped. She stormed out of the locker room, her face a storm cloud as she made her way to Vince's office.

Trish and Maria watched their friend leave, Maria smiling wanly at the older diva. "I think she saw the newspaper," Maria said unnecessarily.

Trish nodded in agreement. "Oh man. As soon as she's done with Vince, we've got to do something."

Lilian took a deep breath before knocking on Vince's door. His deep voice told her to come in, and she did.

"Hello Mr. McMahon," she said, trying to smile. But she saw what he was holding.

"Have a seat, Lilian." He spread the paper on his desk.

On the cover, under the headline was a picture of Lilian and Dwayne in Central Park, holding hands and walking awfully close together. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks.

"I'm not jumping to any conclusions," the Chairman said softly. "I just was surprised to see this."

She looked up, biting her lip and trying not to cry. "He stayed with me after the surgery and took care of me. We went to Central Park one day after a check up appointment I had. We..." She stopped talking, nervous about discussing personal subjects like this with her boss.

Vince held up a hand, silencing the blonde ring announcer completely. "I'm not here to judge you, Lilian. Nor am I going to judge your relationship with Dwayne. But I just need to know that you two are going to be professional about this."

Lilian flushed a deeper red, ducking her hair in embarrassment. "Sir, our relationship just began! I was-"

"Again, Lilian. I'm not here to judge. But I do expect you to be professional about your relationship. That's all."

Lilian closed her mouth, slumping back against the chair slightly, feeling more embarrassed then she had ever felt in her life. That included being knocked off the ring by Charlie, her voice problems during the Anthem, everything.

"You sound a lot better than you did a few weeks ago," Vince said, changing the subject effectively.

"Yes, sir. I feel a lot better," Lilian replied miserably. "And look, no brace," she added, holding her healed left hand up.

"That's great," Vince said enthusiastically. "Did you have Dr. Andrews fax the bill to my office?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't think you should have to pay for my costs. I will be more than happy to pay for the invoice myself."

"Nonsense!" He smiled to show it was good natured. "I really would like to pay for it, Lilian. It was something that happened because of your job here, it's my responsibility."

"Okay," she said slowly. "Is that all?"

He nodded. "Yes, there's nothing you're doing tonight on the show either. Do you feel like singing the anthem? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Nope, I am ready to get back out there and sing." She smiled and stood up. "Thanks, Mr. McMahon."

The chairman rose from his seat. "You're welcome."

Lilian walked out of the office, tilting her head to the ceiling as she walked.

Damn it. If she ever found the person who wrote that article, she would kill them herself.

Stalking back to the women's locker room, she noticed Randy Orton smirking at her; Lilian nearly said something, but chose not to, instead continuing her steady pace to her destination.

Lilian pushed the door to the locker room open harder than she intended, Trish and Maria jumping when the door slammed into the wall. She stalked over to her bag, checking her phone.

Nothing.

With almost a growl, she stalked over to her bag, grabbing her binder and clothes for the evening.

"Uh, hey, Lil," Trish said cautiously.

"Hi," she said, quick and dry.

"How are you?" Maria asked.

Lilian spun around. "Don't. Just...please don't."

The other two girls frowned. Trish went to say something, but Lilian's phone began ringing.

The ring announcer practically flew to her bag, grabbing her phone.

"D?" she said, flipping it open.

"Hey Lil," Dwayne's voice said from the other end of the connection. "How are you holding up?"

She sat down. "Not so good. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, actually, it doesn't bother me. And before you ask, Dany isn't upset either. She's more pissed of how it's going to effect my movies."

Lilian breathed a sigh of relief, stepping out of the locker room and walking down an empty corridor. "Well, I guess that's good," she replied, leaning against a wall, lifting one leg so it was resting against the wall.

Dwayne paused, concern evident in his voice. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah… I just kinda got hell from Vince."

"What did he say? Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No, D. He's not mad. He just warned me to quote 'keep this professional,' unquote."

"Oh, okay."

Lilian sighed, crossing her arms in front of her protectively as she cradled the phone between her shoulder and cheek. "Look, babe, I need to get going. I want to warm up my voice before I get out there and have to get dressed."

"Okay… just tell me one thing. What are you wearing tonight?"

She breathed out a laugh. "Why?"

"Oh, I don't know," he said, his voice suddenly becoming thicker.

She smirked. "Well, I could tell you, but then it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

"If you can," he started, "Wear something pink."

She laughed. "Okay, for you I will wear something pink."

"I'll talk to you later, Mama."

"Okay, enjoy the show tonight. Bye."

"Bye," he said before the phone clicked off.

Sighing, she leaned her head against the wall, relieved that he wasn't upset or distraught. She was still worried about what it would do to his career though.

She couldn't think of that now, though. She had things to do.

----------

Lilian waved to the crowd, blushing at the whistles she was getting from the crowd. Thankfully, they didn't seem to be judging her. Either that or news of her and Dwayne's relationship hadn't made it to the Internet yet…

"Well, good evening!" she said to the roaring crowd, pleased at how her voice sounded. "Are you all ready for Monday Night Raw?"

The answer was deafening, and Lilian grinned, going through her usual pre Raw announcements. And then came the big test.

Singing.

With a deep breath, she opened her mouth, singing the first notes of the Anthem, her smile widening as she moved through the song.

Her voice was completely back.

"Way to go, girll!" Marc Yeaton said to her as she made her way back to the chair.

She let out a sigh of relief, one that seemed to remove the weight of the world off her shoulders. "Thanks."

She sat down, grateful that Vince was starting the show off with a promo. She pulled out her book and opened it to see the line up for the evening.

"What the hell is this!" she shouted. Marc, JR and some of the fans that heard her turned to look.

Inside her black notebook where she kept her papers for RAW was another gossip paper from New York, boasting that she was the cause of Dwayne's pending divorce. Her face turned red, slightly from anger, slightly from embarrassment by calling so much attention to herself.

"What is it?" Marc asked.

"Who put this in here?" Lilian thrust the paper at him, the timekeeper taking it from her. Frowning, he read the headline on the paper.

"WWE Blonde Bombshell Breaks Heart of The Rock's Wife," Marc read aloud. "That's nice, Lil."

"Marc, would you keep your voice down," Lilian hissed, gritting her teeth. "And it's not nice. It's bullshit that someone had the nerve to put it in my book!"

"Speaking of keeping your voice down," Marc said, gesturing to the fact that JR was looking at her worriedly. "Calm down, Lil. I have no clue who put that in your book."

"It was probably Coach. I'll kill him," Lilian muttered, snatching the paper back from Marc. Hiding it in her book, she flipped through the magazine until she found the page with the article.

"Oh great. There's pictures too," Lilian grumbled, looking at the picture of her and Rock holding hands miserably.

By the time the show ended, Lilian was more than ready to get back to the hotel. The fact that a few of the fans around her had started a 'You Screwed Rock' chant didn't help matters.

Once she got to the women's locker room, she checked her phone, surprised to see Dwayne had sent her a text. She opened it and frowned. "We need to talk," it said.

Lilian sunk down to one of the benches, trying to keep from crying. Trish and Maria walked in, giggling about something, but immediately stopped when they saw how distressed the ring announcer was.

"Lil," Trish said cautiously, settling down next to her friend. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Just the fact that what should be the best days of my life has turned into a fucking media circus, nothing's wrong," Lilian said, wiping her nose. "Guys, I gotta call D. Give me a few minutes."

"Okay, babe. We'll be here when you're done," Maria said, settling down next to Trish.

Lilian nodded, managing a small smile for her friends. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

With a sigh, she walked out of the locker room, leaning against a wall and sliding down so she was sitting on the ground. With a frown, Lilian pressed the number for Dwayne's cell, waiting nervously for him to pick up.

"Hey, Lil." His voice was tired, the Brahma Bull obviously just haven woken up.

"Hey D," she said softly. "I guess you found the other paper?"

"Oh yeah, I've seen several actually."

Lilian groaned. "There's more?" She took a minute before going on. "I am so sorry. This is all my fault."

"No, it really isn't," he argued. "But..."

Lilian closed her eyes, thinking to herself, There's always a but.

"I don't know, Lil. I don't want this to effect your career. Those fans can be rabid."

"My career? D, what about yours? You're the one knocking down 7 million dollar movies!"

"And you're the one with a future singing career," Dwayne retorted gently. "I don't want the critics saying you only got into the business because you're sleeping with me."

"Okay," Lilian breathed, trying to keep her Spanish temper in check. "First of all, it's no one else's business. I've worked long and hard to get this album off the ground. So that's bullshit, D."

"I never said-"

Lilian sighed, speaking over his soft plea. "Look, Dwayne. I like you. A lot. But honestly… I think this might not have been the smartest thing we could have done."

"Lily… what are you saying?"

The blonde closed her eyes, trying to will the tears away. "I think that we let our emotions get the better of us," she murmured.

"Lil...I think you're right."

She felt herself go rigid but stayed aware of what she was saying. "Maybe when it all blows over, your

divorce and these journalists, we can try again."

"Maybe." His voice sounded distant and far away.

"Look, I need to go, I'm going out with the girls tonight," she said, trying to make it seem as though he wasn't breaking her heart.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later."

She hung the phone up and stood up before she could even give her eyes the chance to cry.

Suddenly, she was mad. Mad at Dwayne, mad at the reporters, mad at Vince, mad at herself. She was pissed at the world, pretty much.

She stalked into the women's locker room, the door slamming against the wall for the second time that night. None of the divas who converged were stupid enough to say something to the blonde, who was currently shoving things into her bag.

"Lil… you okay?" Maria dared to ask, flinching back when Lilian's jeans nearly hit her in the face. Trish stood next to her younger friend, crossing her arms over her chest.

Lilian looked up, ready to bite off a nasty reply. However, she couldn't be mad at Maria or Trish…

"Honestly, Ria, I'm not," Lilian said softly. "And I plan on getting plastered tonight. So if you two want to come with me, I suggest you be ready in five minutes."

With that, the little blonde grabbed her jeans and a shirt, stalking off to the bathroom area to change. Maria and Trish could only exchange a worried glance.

Lord only knew what the night would bring.

----------

End Part 7

R&R por favor!


	8. Chapter 8

Trish and Maria nearly had to run to keep up with Lilian's strides. "You know, Trish, for someone with such short legs she sure moves fast," Maria said breathlessly.

"Tell me about it. She's even faster when she's pissed," Trish replied, running to grab the door of the bar Lilian just entered before it slammed closed.

"Great… could she have picked a trashier bar?" Maria muttered to Trish, walking up to the bar and settling in a seat next to Lilian, trying to avoid the looks of the sleazy looking men occupying the bar.

"What can I get for you, honey?" the bartended asked, flashing a toothless grin to Lilian.

"Get me a Long Island Iced Tea. And don't call me honey or you won't be getting a tip tonight," Lilian snarled. The bartender's grin faded, and he stalked off, grumbling as he made Lilian's drink.

"Damn, Lil, take it easy," Trish said softly, placing a hand on her friend's arm.

"Don't, Trish, okay? Just...let me do this."

Trish looked to Maria for some help, but the dark haired diva shook her head. She said quietly to Trish, "Let her, we need to stay sober though to take care of her."

The blonde looked at Lilian who was sucking down her Tea in long gulps. She turned back to Maria. "I'm going to call D. He needs to come up here and work whatever it is out."

"You don't know?" Maria asked.

"Know what? They're fighting, obviously."

Maria shook her head and bit her lip, making sure Lilian was still distracted with the bartender. "There's a bunch of gossip papers going around saying she's the cause of his divorce."

Trish's eyes widened slightly. "Shit," she muttered, wincing when she heard Lilian ordering another Long Island Iced Tea. "No wonder she's upset."

"Lil, honey, would you slow down?" Maria asked, watching nervously as Lilian snatched her second drink from the bartender. "You haven't eaten anything since this afternoon."

"Does it look like I give a shit?" Lilian growled.

Trish sighed, shaking her head. "Hey, buddy, do you serve food here?" she asked the bartender.

He snorted, giving Trish a once over. "Do we look like a restaurant? This is a bar, sweetie. Of course we don't serve food."

"Hey! Don't get smart with my friends!" Lilian yelled, standing up from the bar stool.

"Okay, Lil, calm down," Maria soothed, pulling on the little blonde's arm to get her to sit back down. "Tell us what's wrong."

Lilian finished off her second glass, waving to the bartender for another.

"He basically called to dump me because of that fucking article! But I did it before he even had the chance," she grounded out.

Trish shook her head sympathetically. "Lil, are you sure that's what he was calling for?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" she shouted.

The bartender brought over another glass, staring at Lilian. "Listen, little lady, are you sure you need to be drinking all this?"

Lilian spun around, her eyes seething. "Yes, I'm sure, and if you don't continue serving me, I'll get you fired."

The bartender grit his teeth before replying, "And if you keep it up, my big friend over there," he pointed to a rather large man with huge muscles standing by the door, "Will kick you and your little friends out. So shut your mouth if you want to stay here."

Lilian opened her mouth to retort, only to have Trish clamp a hand over her open mouth. "Sorry," Trish said sweetly. "Would you mind getting me and my friend two Cokes. Just put it on her tab."

"Gladly." He strode off, muttering something about loudmouthed females.

With a sigh, Trish turned back to Lilian. "Look, sweetie, I'm sure you two are just hitting a rough patch in your relationship."

"Relationship?" Lilian snorted, accepting her third drink. "There is no 'relationship'. ALL HE WANTED WAS SEX!"

"Lil, keep your voice down," Maria hissed, trying to ignore the looks of a man a few seats down who looked somewhat slimy.

"I won't keep my voice down," Lilian retorted. "We slept together, right after we discussed our relationship, and now look at us! He fucking dumped me! I hate men! I'm going to become a nun!"

Maria looked at her friend sideways. "Lil...aren't you overreacting?"

"Overreacting? No! I thought..." The little blonde tilted her head back, willing her tears to stay inside in her head.

Trish squeezed Lilian's hand. "It'll be okay, you have to believe that. I need to go run and make a quick phone call. Ron keeps calling," she lied, and then quickly left.

Lilian scoffed. "Yeah, not all of us can be as lucky as her and marry the guy we dated in fucking 10th grade!"

"Shh, Lil. It'll be okay. I'm sure you and D will be okay. You just need to think positively," Maria told her friend, silently cursing Trish for leaving her with the distraught blonde.

Trish rolled her eyes, trying not to let the blonde's words upset her. Instead, she flipped through her phonebook, finding a number that she had found in Lilian's phone while the blonde had been in the bathroom changing.

Pushing send, Trish listened warily as the phone rang over and over before Dwayne's voicemail picked up. After the message was over, she said quickly. "Dwayne. It's Trish. Look, Lilian is really upset. I think you need to talk to her. I'm not trying to butt in, but… she's currently drinking her sorrows away… and that's not like Lil. Look, just give me a call back. Okay? Bye." With that, she ended the phone call, deciding to quickly go to the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Lilian was looking at Maria through blurry eyes. "Think positively?" Lilian asked, beckoning the bartender over again. He warily approached. "Can I have a Coors this time?" she asked sweetly.

He nodded and set off to get her drink.

As Trish walked out of the bathroom, she felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of her jeans. She pulled it out, seeing it was Dwayne and quickly put it to her ear. "D!"

"Hey Trish," he said, sounding somewhat worried, "What's going on? Is Lilian okay?"

Trish sank back against a wall. "I don't know, I'm really worried about her. She's shooting back drinks like it's nothing. She hasn't cried or anything, but I can tell she's really sad. Lil's just being her stubborn self and trying to not let everything get to her."

On the other end, Dwayne sighed. "What should I do?"

"Can you come up here or something? I think if you were here to tell her everything was okay, and going to be okay, she'd be a lot better. That is, if she doesn't get shitfaced first."

Dwayne sighed, but said, "Yeah. What bar are you at?"

"It's called 'The Beer Hall'."

"The Beer Hall," he repeated. "That sounds trashy."

"It's not up there in the five stars, that's for sure. If we're not here when you get here, we're staying at the Ramada across the street from the arena."

"Okay," Dwayne replied.

"Thank, D. It means a lot to me, and will mean a lot to Lilian," Trish said sincerely.

"Yeah. Take care. See you in a few."

With that, the two broke their connection.

"Lil, are you sure you should be mixing drinks?" Maria asked worriedly when Lilian put her request in.

"Eh, who fucking cares?" Lilian grunted. "No one seems to care about me."

"Well, obviously Trish and I care," Maria said, relieved when Trish slid back into her seat.

"Well, look. Here's Ms. Perfect Relationship herself," Lilian said, her words beginning to slur slightly as she squinted at Trish.

"What?" Trish asked, confused. Her jaw dropped when she saw the bottle of beer being slid in Lilian's direction.

"There ya are," the bartender said.

Lilian picked the bottle up, taking a swig. Her face squinched up at the disgusting taste.

"Lil...are you sure about this?"

The ring announcer looked up at Trish, firing gleaming in her eyes. "I'm positive! Now, let me drink in peace or you can leave and let me catch a ride back to the hotel from somebody else."

"Well, we're certainly not letting that happen," Trish said with a sigh, trying not to let her friend's words upset her. She knew Lilian was on the fast track to being drunk, and wouldn't remember what she said in the morning.

"You know, Trish, you are so lucky," Lilian said bitterly. When the Canadian didn't respond, she continued. "You have the perfect relationship, with the perfect guy. You have a perfect body, you're fucking… fuckable. And me?" she asked, taking a swig from her beer. "I'm just the lowly… non fuckable ring announcer."

Slamming the bottle down, she rested her head against the bar. "Why the hell did I think Dwayne would care about me?"

"He does care about you, Lil," Maria said, not sure of what exactly to say.

Lilian laughed, looking at her friend through slanted eyes as she kept her head on the bar. "Uh huh. Sure. THAT'S WHY HE FUCKING DUMPED ME!"

"Lil, that isn't true," Maria comforted.

"Bullshit it isn't! Nobody cares about me. Nobody ever has. Nobody notices me down there at ringside, always getting hit by flying chairs and shit."

Trish frowned. "Lilian, you know that isn't true."

Lilian ignored her friend, though. "I just thought it'd be different with D. He always notices me when he comes back for special occasions. Even if he does embarrass the hell out of me," she said, laughing softly and sniffling a little as well. "But...I don't know. I guess I'm just not cut out for that or something."

With a sigh, she slid her bottle back to the edge of the bar, making a face. "God, beer is gross. I think it's only for fat redneck women and ugly ass men!" Lilian said loudly.

"Lilian, would you keep your voice down," Maria hissed, her face reddening when she saw a rather large women a few seats down.

Lilian frowned as she followed Maria's gaze "Hey… tis a free country. Look. There's a fat ugly ass woman drinking beer right there."

"Oh, God," Trish said, her heart rate quickening when the woman heard Lilian, her face hardening into a glare to the smaller blonde. "Lil. Shut up. We're leaving." She grabbed Lilian's arm, her intent being to pull the little blonde out of earshot before she started a barroom brawl.

"No! I just started drinking!" Lilian whined, shrugging off Trish's hand. "I just wish that ugly bitch would stop glaring at me!" she said loudly, looking at the woman in leather garb.

The woman in question rose from her seat, popping her knuckles as she went.

Lilian polished off her beer, her taste buds slowly getting acquainted with it. "What?" she sneered.

"You got a problem?" the large woman asked.

"What if I do?" Lilian challenged.

Maria and Trish stared at each other. "Lil, c'mon, let's go!"

"No!" Lilian stood up, getting up next to the biker woman. "Why're you staring at me like you want to eat me? Have you not eaten tonight?"

The woman gritted her teeth, balling her hands into fists. "You know, Blondie, I could knock you out with one shot. So unless that's the road you want to go down, I suggest you shut your trap."

Despite the fact that Lilian gave up about one hundred pounds and a good foot of height, she still shoved the woman in the chest as hard as she could. The woman barely moved, instead chuckling mirthlessly as Lilian yelled, "You want to fight? Huh!"

Before Lilian knew what happened, the woman's fist collided with her left cheekbone, sending the stunned blonde to the ground.

Trish and Maria looked down at Lilian, who had an almost comical look of shock on her face. Lilian struggled to stand and lunged at the woman again, only to have Trish and Maria grab her by the arms and pull her back.

"Look, lady, I'm sorry," Trish apologized. "She's having a rough couple of weeks."

"Unless you want me to finish what I started, I suggest you get her out of here," the woman sneered.

"Yes, ma'am," Maria replied pulling a one hundred dollar bill from her wallet and throwing it down on the bar, trying to keep Lilian from breaking free of the grip she had on her friend. "I hope that covers our bill," Maria said apologetically, dragging Lilian out of the bar with Trish.

----------

"Did you put the trash can by her bed?" Trish asked an hour later.

Maria nodded in the lamp-lit room. "Yeah, how sick do you think she's going to get?"

"I don't know, she was drinking pretty hard."

The two were quiet for a moment until Maria asked, "When's D going to be here?"

"I texted him the hotel information, so hopefully soon."

"Do you think Lil's gonna flip when he gets here?"

With a sigh, Trish nodded. "Without a doubt. But they need to talk," she pointed out.

-----------

Lilian wasn't sure what woke her the next morning… the pounding in her forehead, the throbbing under her left eye, or the nauseous feeling in her stomach. With a moan, she rolled over, planting her face in the pillow, only to yell in pain when her face stung incessantly.

"What the fuck?" she asked aloud, rolling out of the bed and struggling to stand. "Ugh," she muttered, silently willing her upset stomach to go away.

With another moan, she struggled to make her way to the bathroom, not noticing that there was a figure on the couch watching her every move. Lilian looked in the mirror, cursing when she saw her face.

She then gasped as she saw the tall, dark figure behind her. She spun around, her hand to her chest.

"Oh my God, what are you doing here?"

Dwayne stepped into the bathroom, raising his fingers to lightly graze over the large purple bruise that had formed under her eye. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she spat.

"Lil..."

She brushed past him, going to sit on the bed. "I don't get it," she said softer this time. "Why are you here? Why can't you just leave me alone and let me hurt? You didn't stay away when I had my surgery, you aren't staying away now - I just don't understand!"

Dwayne sighed, sitting down next to her on the bed. "Lily…" he started, only to wince under her glare. "That looks like it hurts," he finally said, reaching up to touch her cheek.

She winced, pulling back and swatting at his hand at the same time. "Damn it, that hurts!" she yelped.

Dwayne shook his head, standing up. "I'm going to get some ice for you," he said. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Whatever," Lilian said with a sigh, waving him off. Watching him leave, she stood up, locking the deadbolt after he left. With a smirk, she turned and walked to the bathroom, shutting the door and turning on the hot water.

When she emerged half an hour later, wrapped in a fluffy white towel, she was dismayed to see him sitting on the couch, a slight smile on his face. "How the hell did you get back in here?" she asked, self-consciously wrapping the towel a little tighter around herself.

"The deadbolt wasn't on all the way, Lil," Dwayne answered, sounding somewhat amused. "Though that was a good plan to get rid of me. One problem, though."

"What's that?"

"You can't get rid of me that easily."

---------

End Chapter 8


	9. Chapter 9

"Why'd you move to Greenich?" Lilian asked in the car.

Dwayne had helped her pack her things and said that he wanted her to come stay with him for a while at his new home in Greenich.

"I let Dany keep our home in Florida. I'm not going to make my little girl move and have to start her life over just because I want to keep a house. I had to go through that, I don't want her to have to either," he answered, keeping his eyes on the highway.

She nodded and decided to leave the conversation at that. She turned her attention outside the passenger window, watching the road pass by.

The silence was uncomfortable, before Dwayne spoke up again. "How's your eye doing?"

"It hurts," Lilian admitted with a sigh, raising a hand up to gently press against her face. "Remind me to tell Trish and Maria the next time I get drunk not to pick a fight with the biggest lady in the bar."

Dwayne chuckled softly, not pressing the issue as Lilian clammed up again. "How's your throat?"

"It's good. Great. Better than it's been in months."

Again, silence.

With a frustrated sigh, Dwayne slammed the brakes to the floor and swerved into the shoulder of the road. Lilian gasped, reaching for the handle and bracing herself as the car came to a stop.

"What the hell is wrong with you!"

"Me? What's wrong with me? You're the one not talking!"

Lilian stared at him, her heart slowing down somewhat. "Excuse you? None of this would be happening if..."

He looked at her knowingly. "If you hadn't have overreacted."

She rolled her eyes and turned to face the window again.

"No!" Reaching over, he gently drew her face to his view. "I don't want to fight with you anymore, Lil."

She looked down, too scared to meet his eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled quietly.

Dwayne sighed again, shaking his head. "You have nothing to be sorry about." She merely sat there, her hands folded in her lap, her eyes downcast.

With her quiet reaction, he shut off the car. Opening the door, he stood up. Before Lilian could say anything, she watched as he threw the car keys as far as possible into the woods.

"What are you doing?" she yelled, listening as the keys jingled with a landing somewhere within the brush.

"We're gonna talk. Because we're gonna be here for awhile."

She stared at him, green eyes unblinking for several moments. "You're fucking nuts, Dwayne."

"Yeah. I've heard that one before. Now, do you want to tell me what's bugging you and why you broke up with me?"

"Because you sent me that message," she said through gritted teeth.

"I don't buy that," he answered.

"Well too damn bad. I'm not asking you to. That's the truth; you can make whatever you want out of it."

He got out of the car, walking over to her side, he opened her door. "Maybe I will. But I don't think that's all of it. What I think is that this article has you really shaken up, what I want to know is why."

"Why? WHY! Do you not care about anything? How apathetic can you possibly get?"

"Well, then, damn it, tell me! Tell me what's wrong!"

With a furious sigh, Lilian ripped her seatbelt off, getting out of the car and standing as close as possible to him. "How do you think I feel?"

"How am I supposed to guess how you feel when you won't tell me what's wrong?" He didn't back down from her angry aura; rather, he met it headfirst.

"Fuck, Dwayne! They called me a home wrecker! They said I was the cause of your divorce!"

"But you're not!"

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?" she yelled, her voice carrying despite the sound of cars whizzing by. She swallowed slightly, trying to will the tears that were forming away. "Don't you think, D, that that hurts me just a little bit?"

"Of course, Lil. I know that it hurts you," he said, his voice much softer now. "It hurts me too." Dwayne took her hands into his, pulling them up to his chest. "I didn't mean for that message to come across as though I wanted to end our relationship. I'd never want to do that. And I'm so sorry for your eye. If I hadn't have been a jerk on the phone, maybe you wouldn't have gone out to that bar."

"I can't believe I drank beer," she finally said. Lilian could feel his laugh vibrate through her hands that he still had held against him. "I guess I just thought that finally being with you was too good to be true. I wanted to end it before you so that I wouldn't get hurt. Turns out, I did get hurt, and I hurt you too."

He nodded. "Last night was horrible."

"If I remembered what happened, I'd probably have to agree with you."

Dwayne laughed, resting his head against hers. "Well, next time, just pick on someone smaller than you."

Lilian snorted, shaking her head. "I feel so horrible. Maybe I should find that lady and apologize. Apparently I asked her if she was gonna eat me."

"You said a lot more than that from what I understand," Dwayne teased.

Lilian thought for a moment then said, "Hmm. I think I'll let it go. Hopefully she didn't realize who I was."

Dwayne shook his head, looking deep into her eyes. "So… are we okay?"

Instead of answering, she leaned up and kissed him softly. She pulled back, smiling. "I hope so."

He grinned. "Good."

"Now...can we find your keys and get off the side of this road? I feel like we're road kill waiting to happen!"

Dwayne laughed and quickly retrieved the keys out of the grassy area. They were back to his house in no time at all. He gave her a brief tour of the three story house that he was still in the process of furnishing and decorating.

"I'd be more than happy to help you," she offered. "I don't know if I'd be willing to paint all these rooms. I value my brain cells too much."

He gently ruffled her hair, stating, "I think the blonde hair dye has gotten to you already!"

She playfully gasped, smacking him lightly in the chest. "I'm hurt! You messed up my hair and insulted me within a span of two seconds!"

"Aw, poor baby," Dwayne soothed, smoothing her hair down and kissing her.

"Mmm," Lilian moaned, closing her eyes as Dwayne's hands found their way to her bottom. "D… I think we better stop before we christen this room."

"But see, that's my intention," Dwayne replied against her lips. "I want to christen every room in my new house."

"I'll bet you do," she said, pulling away.

He pouted. "You don't want to?"

"Personally, I'd rather wait till your house is completely done. It's a beautiful house, D."

"Thank you," he said proudly.

"Now," she started, turning towards him, "How much longer until your house is done?"

He chuckled. "Well, my kitchen is done."

"Really?" she asked, eyes sparkling.

Dwayne mocked surprise at her sudden giddiness. "Lilian Garcia! I am shocked at your boldness!"

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Oh, don't you dare feign innocence. I know you better than that."

Lilian giggled, standing on her toes and kissing him on the cheek. "Well, I guess that idea is out."

His eyes widened. "You were honestly thinking of…"

She shrugged, turning and walking out of the room. "I guess you'll never know," she called over her shoulder.

He ran to catch up with her. "No, I want to know!"

"Do you now?" she asked, spinning around when he clasped a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes!"

"Do your showers work?"

A sly grin slowly appeared on his lips. "Yes..."

"Good, you should go take a cold one."

The grin quickly vanished. "What? Why are you being mean to me? I don't get it."

"Oh, I'm not being mean, ya big baby!" Lilian said. "I'm playing hard to get."

"Ooh… hard to get?" he asked, a grin spreading on his face,

"Yeah... what about it?"

Without warning, he grabbed her around the waist, lifting her quickly so she was resting over his shoulders. "Hey! Let me down!"

"Nope."

"D!"

"I think you need to learn not to tease me."

"And how exactly are you gonna do that?" Her eyes widened as they entered the bathroom, Dwayne's obvious intent being to put her in the shower. "OW! My eye! Dwayne! You're hurting me!"

He immediately set her down gently. "Oh my God, Lil, I completely forgot. Are you okay? I'm so sorry."

She smirked and tore off into the hallway, heading up the stairs.

Closing his eyes he stood up and reopened when he was at the mirror. "You're a jackass," he told himself before chasing after.

He caught her right as she was almost to the top of the stairs. "Damn it!"

He laughed. Picking her up, he flung her over his shoulder and headed back for the shower.

"Dwayne, if you put me in the shower I will kill you!" Lilian shouted, slapping his back gently. When he kept carrying her, she tried going for the injured eye tactic again. "Ouch! D, my eye!"

"I'm not falling for that one again," he said with a smirk as he stepped onto the landing for the second floor. Instead of heading for the bathroom, however, he made a turn and went into his room, gently flinging her down on the bed.

"Oof," Lilian grunted, laying there as Dwayne climbed on the bed as well.

"You've been a bad girl, Ms. Garcia," Dwayne stated, laying next to her on the bed.

"Oh, yeah? How so?"

"Well, for starters, you insulted some nice lady at a bar last night."

She rolled over to her side to face him, her fingers toying with the sleeve of his shirt. "And what else have I done that's been bad?"

"Well, you got yourself drunk."

Lilian shrugged as though it was no big deal. "So what?"

"You broke up with me," he stated matter of factly.

Her green eyes narrowed. "Fine, you win, I've been naughty."

He smiled. "Of course I win, I always win. I'm The Rock, remember?"

She giggled. "Yes I remember. I remember of those days of dreaming about you. Dreaming of becoming Mrs. Lilian Rockcia."

"'Those days?'" he repeated softly, lifting a hand to stroke the side of her face, taking extra care as he touched the swollen purple area around her eye. "So you don't dream of it anymore?"

Lilian swallowed slightly, sitting up at his statement. Dwayne did the same thing, watching concerned as she leaned back against the wall.

"I… I don't know, D." As innocent as his statement was, it brought up a lot about their future.

Sensing her discomfort, Dwayne smiled, taking her hand in his. "Hey… I'm just kidding. I didn't mean to freak you out."

"I… I know. It's just… it's early in our relationship, you're coming off a divorce, I've been divorced, and… I don't know, D. I'm sorry."

"Hey," he whispered, tilting her face so she would look at him. "It's okay." He kissed her gently, the pads of his thumbs stroking her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, her voice barely audible.

"Hey, don't be sorry. Every time I turn around, you're apologizing for something. You don't ever do anything wrong, Lil."

She frowned and looked down at her nails. "I know, I'm sor-"

"There you go again," he said, laughing a little. "Why are you always apologizing to me?"

"Because I always act like such an idiot around you. I used to get all fangirl-like when you were around, when we first met. Now I just say completely stupid things."

"You acted like a fangirl around me?" She nodded. "Hmm, I never noticed that."

"You didn't? How could you not? I think the heat from my cheeks could've fried an egg."

"Wow," Dwayne said softly. "I'm flattered."

"You're flattered that I acted like a fangirl around you?" Lilian asked skeptically.

"Well, no," Dwayne replied. "But I'm flattered you noticed me."

"What are you talking about, you big goof? You're freaking hot."

Dwayne laughed, patting the bed next to him as he laid down. She complied, sliding across the bed until she was resting in his arms. "You really thought I was attractive when you first started?"

"Yeah! Of course! Why?"

"Cause if I'm remembering right, 1999 was the year of the big sideburns."

Lilian snickered, remembering his none-too-flattering hair style. "You? Well, do you remember some of the outfits I used to wear!"

"Yeah, those modest little dresses." He playfully rolled his eyes, grinning. "I knew what you were hiding."

"Oh God, like that's the only thing you noticed. What about my hair? I can't believe I dyed it like that. And my lipstick? Wow. I think I was trying to come across like I was in my 30s instead of my 20s."

He kissed the top of her head, chuckling. "That's true, but what about my 400 dollar silk shirts?"

"The ones with the tigers on them? That you always left unbuttoned?"

"Yes, those."

"Well, they were tacky, but I liked the unbuttoned look. That was incredibly hot."

"And my sunglasses?"

"Made you look homosexual."

He laughed, shaking his head at her innocent look as she made that statement. "You know, Garcia, you really know how to wound a man."

She shrugged, curling up closer to him. "Let's just both admit that we've made some critical fashion errors."

"We should have been sent to the fashion police for some fashion advice."

"And who would that be? Vince?"

"Vince? You mean King of the Too-Short Pants and Too-Tight Blazers? Yeah, okay."

Lilian giggled, stating, "True."

Dwayne didn't answer, rather he whispered something they hadn't said to one another yet. "I love you."

Lilian smiled up at him, whispering back, "I love you too."

Dwayne smiled back at her, holding her a little closer. "You look tired," he told her.

"Yeah… something about drinking too much last night. I don't want to sleep now, though. I won't be able to sleep later."

"Well, Lilian," he said softly. "I can think of other things to keep you amused later…"

"Well," she smirked, "In that case, good night."

* * *

End Part 9 


	10. Chapter 10

Lilian walked into the arena the next Monday, her head held high as she noticed the wary glances a few of the guys were giving her. The bruise under her eye had finally started to fade, leaving a yellowish green tint to her skin… nothing a little bit of concealer couldn't fix for tonight.

Smiling, she walked up to JR, something that she did every week for the last however many years.

"Hey, JR," she said, accepting the warm hug the Oklahoman offered.

"Hey, Lilian," he greeted. "Jesus, what happened to your eye?"

"I, uh, kinda in a fight last Monday. In a bar."

"Ooh… so how's the other girl?"

"I don't know. I don't remember much. But from what I understand, I got my ass kicked," Lilian said with a sheepish grin.

JR chuckled. "So she was big?"

Lilian nodded. "Oh yes, that I remember."

"Were you completely drunk or something? Why would you get into a fight with someone at a bar?"

She bit her lip, looking down. "Uhm, yeah, I was actually."

"Oh," he said quickly. "I'm sorry, Lilian, I didn't mean to. I was really just joking."

"No, it's fine. I just had a really bad night last week."

"It seems so. If you want to talk about it, you know I'll listen," he said with a kind smile.

"Thanks… I appreciate it," Lilian sincerely replied. "But it seems like things are back on track, thankfully."

"Everything's going okay with you and Dwayne?" Seeing the shocked look on her face, he laughed. "Lilian, it's the hottest thing around here since Paul started dating Stephanie."

Lilian giggled, shaking her head. "Oh, the company rumor mill. I love it. But yes, JR, we're okay. I was a little freaked out about the fact that we were in a few magazines, but I think I'm okay now. It's just a part of being with one of the most famous men in Hollywood."

JR shook his head, lowering his gaze as he murmured, "My little girl's growing up."

Lilian smiled, patting the older man's arm. "Is there a diva meeting today?"

"Yeah… four o'clock."

"Great. Thank you, JR. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Alright, you take care."

Lilian walked away, feeling happy and carefree. But of course that kind of emotion never lasts long. She groaned when she saw the man in front of her. "What do you want now?" she asked bitterly. While she enjoyed her little meeting with JR every week, Lilian didn't want these weekly meetings with Coach to happen.

Coach stepped closer, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Nothing, I'm allowed to walk in these halls too you know."

She narrowed her eyes, scoffing. "Whatever, I need to go. I don't have time for you."

She moved to walk away, only to roll her eyes when Coach said, "You know… I've been reading up on you, Lilian, and I must say that your life seems to be very interesting."

"Yeah?" Lilian asked cautiously, not taking the bait totally. "How so?"

"Seems like you're quite the hellraiser when it comes to bars," Coach said with a smirk.

With that, he thrust a tabloid in Lilian's face. Snatching the paper from him, she scanned the paper, rolling her eyes when she saw the headline.

"WWE Diva Involved in Barroom Brawl," Lilian read aloud, laughing at the picture of Maria and Trish holding her up as they left the bar. Seeing the confused look on Coach's face, she shoved the paper back in his chest. "Certainly not my finest hour, but it's okay."

With that, she walked away, leaving a stunned Coach holding the paper in the middle of the hallway.

* * *

When Lilian finally walked backstage after the show, she was extremely surprised to see Dwayne there. Grinning, she walked over to him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

He pouted. "Well fine, that's the last time I try to surprise you!"

She giggled and they began walking off down the hall. "I am pleasantly surprised to see you!" To prove her point, she stood on her tiptoes, kissing him softly.

"Much better," he said after slowly opening his eyes.

"So, what are you doing here?" Lilian asked again as they set off down the hall, interlacing her fingers through his.

"I thought I'd take the love of my life out to dinner," Dwayne said with a shrug.

"Oh, yeah?" Lilian asked. "And where do you plan on taking her?"

"I don't know. When I find Trish, I'll ask her."

"You ass," Lilian scolded, nudging him with her elbow.

"Oh, I'm just kidding," Dwayne said with a laugh, wrapping a muscular arm across her shoulders and hugging her to him. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't care," Lilian replied. "I hear there's a few good bars in Ohio…"

"Sorry, I don't feel like fighting biker chicks off with sticks tonight. You'll have to pick somewhere else."

Lilian frowned. "Damn, I really wanted a beer!"

He chuckled and they stopped as they neared the women's locker room. "Go get your stuff and think about what you want, okay?"

She smiled. "Okay."

His grip on her hand lingered until she was too far out of his reach. Lilian pushed open the door and she could've sworn she saw a look of sadness flicker across his face.

Moments later, she exited the women's locker room, handing Dwayne her things when he gestured for her to hand them to her. "Well, I talked to the girls."

"Uh oh… girl talk?"

"Not this time," Lilian replied, again taking his hand in hers. "They told me about this great all night diner about two miles from here."

"Okay," Dwayne agreed. "Sounds good."

They walked silently yet contentedly to her rental car, Dwayne hesitating before opening her door for her. "Look, Lil, are you sure you're okay going out in public with me… there will probably be fans from the show there."

She slid into her seat, grabbing her seat belt. "I couldn't care less. Besides, they all know our history."

He smiled and quickly put her things in the trunk before heading around to the driver's seat. "You're not ashamed of me, are you?"

"Of course not, and if it'll make you feel better, we can just have sex on the table. How's that for public display of affection?"

"Hmm, only if there aren't any crumbs," he joked, pulling out of the parking lot.

She laughed, placing her hand on his thigh. "Your old pal, Coach, he found another tabloid with me in it, from last Monday."

"Was that the one with Maria and Trish dragging you out of the bar?"

"That'd be the one."

"Nice," Dwayne commented. He glanced at Lilian, frowning as he asked, "Coach isn't giving you problems, is he?"

"No, calm down Zorro," Lilian replied. "I think I can handle that scrawny little weasel."

Dwayne laughed, shaking his head. "So did you read the article?"

"No," Lilian scoffed, waving a hand in the air. "I decided that if I don't let it show that it pisses me off, then maybe it will just go away. They can be interested in like, Katie Couric or someone."

"It was stupid," he commented.

"Ught!" She playfully swatted his thigh. "I can't believe you read it, you traitor."

"Aw, now Lily, that hurts!"

Before she could respond, they arrived at the diner and went inside. Just as he predicted quite a few fans were there. A lot of girls were shocked to see The Rock and practically fell over in their mad dash for him.

Lilian watched as he signed autographs and posed for pictures. She was relieved when they'd finished their meal and got out of there.

"That was sweet of you, D, to sign all of those and take all of those pictures."

"Well, you had quite a few fans yourself, Ms. Garcia," Dwayne replied, standing in front of Lilian and placing his hands on the car behind her.

"Yeah," Lilian smirked, tracing a finger along his defined chest as she leaned against the car. "The ones who weren't shoving their cameras to me to take a picture of you and them."

Dwayne smiled, placing the keys on the roof of the car and putting his hands on her small hips. "Well, can I just point out that you're the sexiest photographer I've ever seen?"

"You have a comeback for everything, don't you?" Lilian asked with a slight laugh.

"But of course," Dwayne replied, leaning down and kissing her gently.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his lips capturing hers. However, a movement to their left caught her attention, and she hastily broke the kiss. "What's wrong?" Dwayne asked, startled at the sudden change.

"There's someone photographing us," Lilian hissed.

She heard a faint growling sound in the back of his throat. Dwayne turned just as a camera flashed in his face.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked the photographer.

"Exercising my rights," he replied, shoving a press badge into Dwayne's face.

The Rock knocked it away. "I don't give a damn what your rights are. You won't be posting that picture anywhere, or you will be hearing from my lawyer."

"Isn't he a little busy with your divorce?"

Jaw clenched, he raised his fist. Lilian quickly ran forward, grabbing his wrist. "Let it go, D, he isn't worth it."

"Yeah, listen to the home wrecker," the man said, smirking as he put his camera and badge into his pocket.

The photographer wasn't prepared, however, for the fist to connect with his face. The photographer's head snapped back, and he was swung around by his t-shirt, forced up against the side of the car. "Hey, you can't do this!" he managed, only to have Dwayne's hand wrap around his throat.

"Don't you EVER say that about her again. You don't know her, and you never will!" Dwayne hissed.

"D… come on. Let him go," Lilian said calmly, pulling on his arm gently. "He isn't worth it."

With one last disgusted glare, Dwayne let go of the man, shoving him aside. "Get out of here. And don't ever let me see you near us again."

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer," the man sputtered.

Lilian turned and shot the man a look before continuing to push Dwayne to the car.

"I can't believe some people!" he yelled once they were safely inside.

"D, c'mon, can we just go back to the hotel? I don't want to dwell on this all night."

He turned to look at her, noticing the upset look on her face. "Okay, I'm sorry, Lil. I really am. I just...wow."

"I know," she said, frowning and placing her hand on his bicep. "I know, it happens D."

Dwayne shook his head, taking in the timid look on her face as he started the car. "I'm really sorry, Lilian. He just upset me when he made that comment about you."

"It's okay, D. Really. I wanted to slug him too."

Dwayne laughed slightly, covering her hand with his. "I just… he went too far."

"I know." Seeing the look on her face, he frowned slightly. Even though she said it was okay, there was something… different there.

"Lil… I didn't scare you, did I?"

She bit her lip, afraid to answer.

"Lilian..."

"Well, I don't know, you just snapped. I've never seen you act like that, not even in the ring."

He pulled the car into a free space in the hotel parking area. Turning the car off, he covered his face with his hands. "God...Lil, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"No," she said meekly, but he didn't hear her as he jumped out of the car.

"Damn it," he muttered to himself.

Lilian quietly got out of the car. "Dwayne, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm fine, really."

Whirling around, he kissed her squarely on the lips, backing her into the car. Her eyes widened slightly as her back hit the car, but she soon closed them, kissing him back with passion.

He broke off the kiss, breathing hard. "Do you trust me, Lilian?" he asked huskily, his dark eyes searching her light ones.

"With my life," Lilian answered evenly.

"And you know that I would never hurt you, right?"

"Of course," she replied without hesitation.

"Good," Dwayne replied. "So can we forget that little altercation?"

"Absolutely," Lilian said softly.

"Good." With that, his lips were again pressed against her lips, this time with not as much pressure.

This time, she smiled and gladly kissed him back, enjoying the feeling of his fingers running through her hair. When he broke the kiss, she felt very satisfied and happy.

"Are you ready to go inside now?" she joked.

"Well, I'm always up for more," he replied, laughing.

"I'll bet you are."

They walked inside the hotel and headed up to their room. Once they both changed, they sat on the bed, Dwayne holding his arms out for Lilian.

"So other than Coach, has anybody given you a hard time about the articles?"

She shrugged and bit her lip. "Some of the fans know. It's not many, or if it is, they don't make a big deal out of it. The first week though they started a 'You screwed Rocky' chant."

Dwayne swallowed at this, holding the little blonde tightly. "I'm sorry," he said softly, kissing her forehead.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Dwayne," she said firmly. "I think we both know that we're going to hear it from the fans, whether it's when we're in public or I'm doing Raw. But you know what?"

"What?" Dwayne asked, kissing her forehead.

"I don't really care."

Dwayne nodded, using one of his broad hands to gently massage her shoulders. "Then I don't care either," he finally whispered.

* * *

End Chapter 10 


	11. Chapter 11

"Would you get your ass outside, Lil?"

Lilian turned her head away from the computer screen. "In a second! I'm looking at the weather."

Dwayne rolled his eyes and walked behind the chair, dressed only in his swim trunks. "The weather is fine. It's hot, with a little wind and clear skies. Most people here in Miami like to go outside on days like this."

She frowned and closed the window, turning the chair to face him. "Sorry, I don't know why I was looking. But, it's a good thing I did, the weather men are predicting a thunderstorm."

"Good for them, they're wrong most of the time. Now can we please go back out?"

"Yeah, yeah," Lilian muttered, standing up from the chair and adjusting her shorts. "You just want to see me in a bikini," she commented, ducking underneath his arm to exit his beach house.

"Hmm… bikini?" he questioned. "Didn't I tell you this is a nude beach?"

She froze, her mouth opening as she swung her head back to look at Dwayne. Seeing the smirk on his face, Lilian shook her head.

"You're an ass sometimes, D," she commented, though her insult was accompanied by her megawatt smile.

"I know, and you always compliment my ass." He turned, modeling off the indicted part.

She walked back to him, as if she were going to turn the computer off. After shutting down the system, she gave him a swift slap on the aforementioned ass. "Love you, baby."

"You're going to pay for that!"

Awhile later, when they were lying on beach towels on the sand, he reached out to cover her hand. "I really love it out here," he said finally.

"Me too," she answered, opening her eyes to look at him. "I think you should sell your house in Greenich and buy a new one down here since you're letting Dany keep this one."

"Nah." He smiled at the frown on her face. "Why not buy both?"

"Are you serious, D?" Lilian asked, eagerly.

"Yeah… Miami is my home, and I want to stay down here." Pausing, he looked back at Lilian as he whispered, "And I want you to move in with me."

"I… excuse me?"

"I want you to move in with me," Dwayne repeated, louder this time.

"I… wow, D. Are you sure we're not moving too fast?"

Sensing her discomfort, he squeezed her hand slightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"It's not that, D. It's just… New York's my home. I've lived there thirteen years. I don't know if I can just up and leave the city like that."

"Then don't," he said simply.

"But D, I really want to be with you."

"Okay, then be with me."

"But it's New York..."

He chuckled. "Lil, just stay in both, hell you can live with me in Greenich and L.A. It's not like you stay in Manhattan all of your days and hours. You move around, just like I do."

She grinned and threw herself on top of him in a mock hug. "You are so perfect! Remind me again why we didn't start dating sooner?"

"Well, you were married and so was I. Then you know, you went through your divorce but I was still married. And as much as I cared for you then, I wasn't going to cheat on my wife."

Lilian nodded slowly. "I wouldn't expect you to."

They both sat there in silence, Lilian thinking of the best way to move her things to his Greenich house and Dwayne thinking how lucky he was to have found this love with Lilian later in his life.

"Lil," he finally said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"Can you put some more suntan lotion on my back?" he asked. "I can feel myself burning."

"Sure," Lilian said, sitting up. She grabbed the bottle of suntan lotion and squeezed a generous amount on his back, giggling when he jumped.

"Jesus, Lil! You're supposed to put it on your hands first!" he gasped.

She finished rubbing it in and moved to sit in front of him. She took his hands in hers thoughtfully. "Dwayne, honey, I'm not sure anybody has ever told you this, but you're half African American."

He feigned shock. "I'm WHAT?! I knew my mother was lying when she said that my father was back in California, delivering his milk!"

Lilian giggled. "She told you that?!"

He laughed, dazzling her with his smile. "No, and thanks for notifying me, but I already know my heritage."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying, you probably won't get sunburned. You were just making an excuse for me to touch you."

"Now why would I need an excuse?"

Lilian smirked, finishing her blending in of the suntan lotion. "Now would you mind putting suntan lotion on my back so I really don't burn?"

She rolled over on her stomach, squealing slightly when he poured the suntan lotion on her back. "I should have seen that one coming," she grumbled good naturedly, closing her eyes as she felt his hands running over her back.

"Lil, can I… uh…"

"What, D?"

"Can I undo the tie on your bikini? So I can put suntan lotion there?" he asked, almost shyly.

She turned her head to look at him. "You could just lift the strap up."

"Well, I know," he drawled and looked around. "But nobody's out here. Not even the seagulls."

That's odd, Lilian thought. But she said, "If that's what'll make you happy."

He grinned and waited until her head was back down on her towel. His longer fingers untied the small bow that was keeping the bikini top on. Using some of the excess lotion, he began to rub it in where the fabric was just at on her skin.

When he was done, he carefully retied the bow, making sure it was snug against her skin.

He laid back, looking at her for a long time as she quietly pulled out a book and began reading.

"What?" she finally asked, noticing his gaze after several long minutes.

"You're just… you're gorgeous, Lilian. I'm just thinking that I'm very lucky to have you in my life."

"I know," Lilian said softly, looking back at him. Glancing up to the sky, she frowned as she said, "I thought you said the weathermen are wrong most of the time."

Following her gaze, he was surprised to see several dark clouds rolling in. "Shit. Come on, Lil. Let's get back to the house."

"Okay," she said quickly, gathering up her things.

They reached the backdoor just as the rain started to pelt down in heavy drops.

Lilian shivered and pushed the door open. She stepped into the kitchen and off to the laundry room to toss their towels in. Coming back out, she rubbed her arms. "That was bizarre."

"You're telling me," Dwayne said. "It's okay, Lil," he comforted. "It's just a storm, it'll blow over."

"I know, I'm not sure why I'm all freaked out. I think I'm going to go upstairs and take a bubble bath."

"Okay," Dwayne replied, setting his keys down and walking over to the television. He flipped it on, turning to the Weather Channel.

"Shit!" he cursed for the second time in the past ten minutes as he listened to what the weather forecaster said.

"As we've been reporting, Hurricane Amelia has taken a bizarre turn and is now headed for the Florida coast rather than the Bahamas as previously expected. Officials are advising that residents along the coast of Florida take extreme care and evacuate immediately, as Amelia is expected to make landfall anytime within the next two hours."

"Damn," he muttered, taking the steps two at a time, stopping when he came to the bathroom door. "Lil?" he called, pushing open the door without waiting.

Lilian jumped, grabbing a towel to cover her bare chest. "Jesus, D. Haven't you ever heard of waiting for a person to acknowledge you before you open the door?"

"Sorry," he said, turning to not look at her until she had sunk lower into the bubbly water.

"What's going on?"

"We need to go."

"Go?" she asked, confused. "Go where? Dwayne, what is going on?"

He sighed. "The weather channel is saying that the Hurricane that wasn't supposed to hit us is going to hit. They're advising people to evacuate immediately. I just hope we can get out on the road before the entire city starts going crazy."

Wide eyed, Lilian jumped out of the bathtub, not bothering to let the water out. "Where are we going to go? What all do I need to pack? Oh my God, what about your house! We need to board the windows don't we?"

"There's no time, Lilian," he said with a sigh, reaching down to pull the drain of the tub. "We'll figure out where to go after we're on the road. Just grab your basic things. A change of clothes, and some basic toiletries. Pack the same for me. I'm going to gather some bottled water, some canned foods, flashlights, our cell phones, and my portable radio. I'll meet you down by the car in about ten minutes, okay?"

"Okay," Lilian replied, wide eyed.

Lilian ran to the bedroom, finding a duffel bag in his closet as she hastily pulled some clean clothes on. She tossed a couple of shirts and other things into the bag, taking the steps quickly. She grabbed her purse, slinging it over her shoulder before exiting the house.

"Hey, you ready?" Dwayne asked with amazing calmness.

"Yeah."

"Let's get out of here."

Together, they set off for his garage, Lilian looking at Dwayne. "Have you talked to Dany?"

He shook his head, then smiled. "I talked to Simone."

Lilian exhaled heavily with relief. "Where are they?"

"Dany and her went to visit some family over in California. But now, we really need to go," he urged, still staying calm.

"Right!"

They headed out to the garage, loading the extended cab of his truck with their things. Lilian ran around to get in, but he grabbed her gently by the arm, swinging her into him. He kissed her hard, and then softened up.

When they broke, Lilian raised an eyebrow at him. "We aren't going to die, are we?"

"Get in," was all he said, hitting the garage door opener.

Within moments, they were on the interstate, headed north. Lilian sighed, rubbing her palms nervously on her legs. "So… what now? Should I try to get airline tickets?"

Dwayne shook his head, concentrating on the road ahead of him. There were several cars on the road already, but everyone seemed to be moving calmly. "No. They'll ground all flights within the hour and we'd be stuck there. Our best bet is just to drive north."

Lilian nodded, frowning. "How far is it to Tennessee?"

"About thirteen, fourteen hours, if I remember right," Dwayne replied. "Why?"

"Dahlia lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Maybe we can shack up with her."

Dwayne contemplated this, then nodded. "Okay. Call her."

Lilian phone Dahlia's number in her phonebook and connected the call, her breath hitching when rain began pouring down on the truck.

Dwayne turned the wipers up on high, cursing when the water began pelting the truck even harder than before.

"Matthew? It's Lilian, can I talk to Dahlia?" She looked over at Dwayne, the anxiety clearly written across her face. "Hey, look, D and I are down here in Florida and we're about to get blown away by a hurricane." She heard him laugh softly and shot him a look. "We're on the road now. Would you mind if we stayed at your house for a bit? At least until the airlines let us go back to Miami or we book a flight to New York." Lilian didn't want to mention Greenich, she hadn't told Dahlia a lot about Dwayne, at least not yet.

"Great! Thank you so much, we'll be there, but it will probably be late. Yes, I still have your key. Are you sure? Alright, I love you! Bye." Lilian ended the call, looking at D. "Okay, she said it's fine."

"I feel bad for just going in to her house like this."

"Don't," she said softly, "It's Dahlia, she doesn't care. If you knew how many boys I've ... never mind."

Dwayne snickered, shaking his head as he reached across the seat and grasped her hand. "If I didn't know you so well, I might believe you," he answered with a grin.

"Hang on," Lilian said, taking off her seatbelt. She slid across the seat, moving so she was sitting next to Dwayne. She pulled the lap belt across her waist, securing it.

"There," she said, satisfied as she pressed up closer to him, resting her hand on his thigh. "Now I'm close to you and you can keep your hands on the wheel."

"Okay," Dwayne said with a laugh. "Do me a favor and enter Dahlia's address into the GPS system."

Lilian looked at the complicated device, frowning. "And how exactly do I do that?"

Dwayne laughed, shaking his head. "Dany never got it either," he commented softly. "GPS systems must be a guy thing."

"Take the wheel," he instructed.

Lilian leaned over, grasping the wheel tightly.

"Lil, it's a steering wheel, not a rope that's saving you from a million hungry alligators," he joked, loosening her grip so that her knuckles weren't white anymore. "What's her address?"

"1506 Ridgewood."

He put the information into the system and sat back. "You smell really good."

She looked at him, brow furrowed. "What?!"

He chuckled. "Lilian, relax, we're going to be fine."

Lilian exhaled slightly, managing a small smile for Dwayne. "I'm sorry… I'm just not used to this. The few times hurricanes actually hit South Carolina it was while my family was in Spain," she told him. "I'm a little freaked out."

"It's okay, Lil. We'll be fine. I promise," Dwayne reassured her, wrapping an arm across her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. "We're getting out of here in time."

"Okay," Lilian said softly. "I trust you."

They were quiet for a few more moments, then she spoke up again. "Are you okay to drive? Do you need me to take over?"

He looked at her, fighting the urge to laugh. "I'm fine, Lil. Why don't you turn on the radio?"

She nodded quickly. "Okay."

Reaching forward, she turned the radio own, searching the channels for something good to listen to. When she found nothing, she groaned. "The radio stations down here sucks. I don't like rap, thank you very much."

He smiled. "My CDs are in the back somewhere."

She fished around and then came back with a black, leather case. "Hmm," she hummed, flipping through the CDs. She pulled one out. "Shania? Really, D?"

He shrugged. "She's good, leave me alone."

"No, D. I'm not teasing you. I like Shania," Lilian defended, flipping through the CD's some more. "But Britney Spears… that kinda surprises me."

"What?" Dwayne scoffed. "There is no Britney Spears in my CD collection. Backstreet Boys yes, Spears, no."

Lilian giggled, flipping back to Shania Twain. She carefully took the CD out of the sleeve, sliding it into his player. She relaxed slightly as the first song came in, drawing her legs up so they were curled on the seat.

"D… thank you."

"For what?"

"For being so patient with me. I tend to freak out at little things, as you can see. First my surgery, then this."

Using his left hand to drive, Dwayne placed his right hand on her thigh. "You don't need to thank me for that."

"Yes, trust me, I do. I know what a bitch I was being then."

He shrugged, deciding not to say anything.

"Hey!"

"Sorry!"

She stuck her tongue out at him and then pouted, making sure her lower lip was sticking out.

"Are you going to hate me now?"

She nodded her head.

"Are you giving me the silent treatment?!"

Another nod.

"Well thanks, Lilian, really, it means a lot. I should've just left you at the house."

Lilian smirked, resting her head against his chest. "So, uh, is this your first hurricane?" she asked after a few moments.

"Done with the silent treatment already?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Eh, I can't keep quiet for too long," Lilian replied with a shrug. "Just ask Marc Yeaton the next time you see him."

Dwayne laughed, knowing that Lilian often talked to the WWE timekeeper during matches. "Nope. I've lived here awhile. I've seen my fair share of hurricanes."

"Any damage ever?"

"No, we've been fortunate."

"Ever had any close calls like this?"

"Sure, every now and then. I don't ever really worry about it. It's these other crazy morons on the road that I worry about."

Lilian smiled tiredly and yawned. "How much longer?"

"We have a while," he answered. "Do you want to stay in a hotel?"

She shook her head, closing her eyes. "No, I don't want Dahlia to worry if we don't get there."

"Okay then."

When she didn't answer, he assumed she'd gone to sleep. He reached up to turn the volume higher on the CD and began to hum along with the song, which then turned into a soft singing.

Lilian grinned to herself and listened to his voice until it lulled her to sleep.

Lilian awoke some hours later, looking up to see Dwayne staring blearily out the window.

"Hey," she said softly, rubbing her hand on his arm. "You okay?"

"I'm a little bit tired, but I'm going to get coffee at the next rest stop."

"Don't bother," Lilian replied. He glanced down at her, confused. "Let me drive the rest of the way."

"Lil… have you ever driven a truck?"

"I drive Trish's SUV all the time when I visit her," Lilian replied. "So I think I'm okay to drive this thing."

"If you're sure," Dwayne replied doubtfully, pulling into a rest stop. The two got out and stretched their legs, Lilian running to the bathroom while Dwayne filled up the tank. Once she came back, he went to the bathroom while she finished pumping the gas.

He noticed that she was shivering slightly from the cool air. Walking behind her, he wrapped his arms around hers and slid his hands up and down her arms.

"You're sure you want to drive?"

"Yes, D, I'm positive," she answered, hanging up the pump. "Besides, I'd rather drive and crash, than you drive and crash because you fell asleep."

She started moving for the truck and he followed, getting in on the passenger side. "Okay, but only if you're 100 percent, absolu-"

Lilian covered his mouth with her hand. "D, baby, I'll be fine."

He lay down across the interior, resting his head in her lap. She smiled down at him and reached for the keys.

"Now...just how do you start this thing?"

"What?!" He jerked his head up, banging it on the wheel. "Damn it!"

She giggled. "I'm joking, go to sleep."

"You're going to give me a nervous breakdown, woman," Dwayne grumbled.

Lilian giggled, carefully easing the truck out of the rest stop. Before she pulled back onto the interstate, she tested the power of the truck, stepping on the brake after accelerating.

"Lil… what are you doing?" Dwayne asked warily, not wanting to open his eyes.

"I'm just testing this thing to see how well it stops and everything. Relax… I got this."

"You got this… what, are you going black on me?"

"Yo, yo, yo," Lilian replied, accelerating once she got off the ramp.

"Lil… please don't ever say 'yo' again? Okay?" Dwayne requested, closing his eyes.

Before they reached Nashville, they switched another two times, just to make sure they were alert while driving in the dark. It was 5 in the morning when Lilian pulled the truck into her sister's driveway.

"D, get up," she said softly, her fingers dancing across his face.

With a groan, he got into a seated position, stretching and yawning.

They got out of the truck, and Lilian found the house key on her keychain. She opened the front door, making sure to be extra quiet and not to wake Dahlia, Matthew or their two children.

She motioned for Dwayne to follow her with their bag of clothes. They walked past the living room and down a hall, finally stopping at the second door on the left. Lilian opened it and stepped inside where there was a queen sized bed, a small table, a rocking chair and a dresser.

"Come on… let's go to bed," Lilian said tiredly, leading Dwayne to the bed. She settled down, not even bothering to take off her shoes, Dwayne doing the same thing after he set their bag on the rocking chair.

They were both asleep before their heads hit the pillow.

* * *

"Auntie Lilian!"

It wasn't the excited squeal of her three year old niece that woke her; rather, it was forty pounds of the child jumping on her stomach that startled her into consciousness.

"Elisabeth Marie Williamson! Get off your aunt right now!" Lilian heard her very pregnant sister scold, stalking into the room.

Lilian smiled, wiping at her eyes. "Hey there Miss Elisabeth." She looked around for her sister. "What time is it?"

"It's almost noon."

Lilian groaned. "Okay, we'll be up in a few minutes."

"Don't worry about it," Dahlia said, walking into the room to pick up her daughter. "Matt's at the soccer game with Benjamin."

Lilian nodded, thinking of her six year old nephew playing soccer. "I would've thought you could've shown him a real sport, also known as swimming."

Dahlia laughed. "Go back to bed."

And she did.

* * *

End Part 11 


	12. Chapter 12

Lilian awoke a few hours later. Unconsciously, she reached across the bed, her hands touching a small arm. _Hmm… that's definitely not Dwayne,_ she thought drowsily.

She forced her eyes open, meeting the eyes of her niece, who was now laying next to her. "Hi, Auntie Lilian," Elisabeth said, a wide smile on her face. "Can we play now?"

Lilian moaned softly, managing a weak smile for her niece. "Give me a few minutes to clean up and eat and everything, then we will play. Okay? I promise."

"Pinky swear?" her niece asked seriously.

"Pinky swear," Lilian replied, just as serious as she hooked pinkies with the child.

"Okay… now brush your teeth Auntie Lilian. Your breath stinks!"

"It's true."

Lilian looked up to see Dwayne walk back into the room dressed in a pair of jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. In his hand was a wet towel indicating he'd just taken a shower.

"Thanks," Lilian said sarcastically, sitting up, but holding the blankets to her.

Half an hour later, Lilian walked into the large kitchen where everyone was sitting on barstools around the island.

"So nice of you to join us," her sister joked.

"Mom made her sandwiches," her nephew Benjamin said joyfully, taking a bite of one.

Lilian smiled. "Did she now? And did your mom happen to save me one?"

"Of course I did, baby sis!" Dahlia said, setting a plate in front of Lilian, who dug in hungrily.

Watching Lilian eat, Dwayne glanced at Dahlia, smiling widely. "You should feed her more often," Dahlia commented to Dwayne, who just shook his head.

"Hey, hey. We outran a hurricane last night. I was a little too busy to be eating," Lilian replied indignantly.

"Mmm hmm… yeah. That's what they all say," Matthew chimed in, teasing Lilian as well.

"Geez," Lilian grumbled good naturedly. "I get no respect around here." She turned her attention to Benjamin, winking at her nephew. "So how was your game?"

"Awesome!" Benjamin replied. "I scored eighteen goals!"

"Eighteen!" Lilian exclaimed, hiding a smile as her brother in law held up two fingers behind his son's back. "Wow! You're pretty good!"

Benjamin nodded, taking a drink of his milk. "Yeah, and this one kid on the other team, he got mad. He kicked me. So I kicked him back."

Lilian laughed and shook her head. "That wasn't very nice."

"Ben, you know it isn't polite to lie," his father said.

The little boy frowned and went back to his lunch.

Dwayne turned to face Lilian. "Alright, I have some good news and some bad news, what do you want first."

"Good," she said quickly.

"Nothing was damaged last night. The hurricane died out by the time it reached the city."

"And the bad?" she pressed.

"It knocked out power lines. There won't be any electricity for at least another week or two."

"Sh…" Lilian trailed off, seeing her niece and nephew watching her. "Shoot," she said instead of the expletive that was originally threatening to surface.

"It'll be okay, though. Cause you need to leave for Raw tomorrow, and I need to go film a few more scenes Monday and Tuesday. We'll go down there sometime during the week to get our stuff and make sure there was no real damage done."

"Okay," Lilian replied softly.

"In the meantime, I'll do a load of clothes so you and Dwayne have clean clothes to wear tomorrow," Dahlia spoke up.

"Man," Lilian remembered. "I left my dress for Raw down in Miami. I was just going to go from there to the show."

"Don't worry about it, we can leave early tonight to get your things from your apartment," Dwayne offered.

"That's true."

"Auntie Lilian!"

She looked down, laughing softly as Elisabeth pulled on the leg of her jeans. "What is it sweetheart?"

"You promised me you'd play with me after you woke up. You pinky promised!" The little girl put extra emphasis on pinky, as though Lilian had signed it in blood.

"I'll tell you what, I'm all done with my lunch and you are too?" Elisabeth nodded. "Okay then, last one upstairs to your room is a big, ugly chicken!"

Elisabeth took off for the stairs, scrambling up to her bedroom, Lilian close behind.

Dwayne watched them with a slight smile on his face, not noticing the hard look Dahlia was giving him until he brought his gaze back to her? "What?" he asked self consciously.

"Nothing…" Dahlia said, shaking her head. "Ben, why don't you go see what Aunt Lilian and Elisabeth are doing?"

The boy took up off the stairs, happy to be getting out of his clean up chores.

"So… my sister is really good with kids, isn't she?" Dahlia spoke up once Benjamin was up the steps.

"Yeah, she's pretty amazing," Dwayne replied absently.

"Yeah… so do you want to have kids with her?"

"Excuse me?" he asked, nearly choking on the sip of water he'd just taken.

Dahlia smiled, beginning to clean up the kitchen. "I was just wondering if you wanted to have children with Lilian."

"Uh...Dahlia, I really don't know. Lil and I have only been dating for less than a month."

"Oh don't give me that," she said, half joking. "I know she's always had feelings for you. Whenever she'd come to visit, she would mumble your name in her sleep."

Dwayne ducked his head, trying to hide the heat creeping up into his cheeks. "Did she now?"

Dahlia nodded. "Oh yeah."

"She also sings in her sleep," Dwayne pointed out.

"And in the bathroom, in the shower, in the car, while cooking dinner, and any other waking moment," Dahlia added. "Well, unawake too."

Dwayne laughed, shaking his head.

"But yeah… please don't hurt my sister. Cause I'll kill you," Dahlia continued seriously.

Dwayne opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off when Dahlia placed her hand on her stomach, inhaling deeply.

"Dear? What's wrong?" Matthew, who had been silent during Dahlia and Dwayne's exchange, nervously asked.

She shook her head, using her other hand on the counter to support herself. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Matthew said, getting up and walking over to her.

"I'm going to get Lilian." Dwayne shot up the stairs, returning a few moments later with Lilian, who was taking the steps by three.

"Dahlia, are you okay?"

Her sister swallowed, and nodded. "I'm fine, really." She smiled just to reassure them.

"Maybe I should call the doctor," Matthew suggested.

"No, I-" Dahlia cut herself off, doubling over in pain.

"That's it. I'm calling the doctor," Matthew declared, grabbing the phone off the hook.

Dwayne grabbed a chair, placing it close to Dahlia so she could sit down. She did so, holding Lilian's arms as she did so.

"Sis… you okay?" Lilian asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Yeah… I just think I'm in labor." She groaned again, her hands gripping Lilian's forearms even harder.

"What?!" Lilian asked. "You… you can't be!"

"Well, I can and I am!" Dahlia snarked.

"But… I don't know how to deliver a baby!" Lilian said, panicked.

"You aren't going to," Dahlia answered once the wave of pain washed over.

At that point, Benjamin and Elisabeth came down the stairs wondering what was going on. Lilian shot Dwayne a look and he went over to meet them before they reached the bottom step.

"Hey, I have an idea for a brand new game that you've never played before," he taunted.

"Ooh!" Elisabeth cooed with happiness.

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" Benjamin prodded, crossing his arms.

"We're going to see who can build the best LEGO fort of them all!"

"Aww," Elisabeth whined. "I hate LEGOs! I don't know how." She pouted and Dwayne quickly lifted her up.

"Well then, you can be on my team since Benjamin here looks pretty confident in himself."

"Yeah, you're toast," the six year old challenged.

Meanwhile, Matthew was calmly hanging up the phone with the emergency operators. "They'll be here in five to ten minutes," he told the two females.

"How can you be so calm?" Lilian asked her brother in law, wincing when Dahlia's foot connected with her knee as another wave of pain hit.

Matthew smiled wryly at Lilian, commenting, "She gave birth to Elisabeth in the middle of a snowstorm… so I think I can handle anything. I'm going to grab her bag and all and then I'll be back. Okay?"

"Yeah," Lilian replied, turning her attention back to her sister. "So… uh, Dahlia, you thought of any names?"

"Shut up, Lilian," Dahlia growled, glaring at her little sister's attempt at a conversation.

"Okay, uhm..."

Much to Lilian's relief, Matthew returned to the room carrying an overnight bag.

"Listen, Lilian, I want you to stay with the kids."

She nodded. "I know, I'll call Mom and Dad too."

Dahlia accepted her husband's hand and stood up. "You can bring them to the hospital, if you want."

"We probably will because I'll have to leave no later than tomorrow morning. But I promise you, I'll be back Tuesday morning."

Dahlia rolled her eyes. "Goody. Just shove your skinny little ass in my face while I lay in a bed like a beached whale!"

Lilian giggled, kissing her sister on the cheek. "Good to see you still have your Spanish sense of humor."

"Yeah, well you know."

"Love you, Dahlia," Lilian said softly.

"Love you too, Lil."

She watched as Matthew helped her walk to the front of the house to wait for the ambulance. She glanced in the other room, relieved to see that Dwayne had things under control. With a sigh, she grabbed the phone and dialed her parent's number.

"Hello?" her mother answered.

"Mom, it's Lil. Look, you're going to be a Grandmom again soon."

"You're pregnant!?"

Lilian clenched her eyes and prepared herself for the long tirade coming her way.

"Who's the father? I thought we raised you well enough to not have sex before you were married! Of course, we all know what happened with that moral! Don't think I've forgotten about that! You couldn't have done it while you were married to Paul, could you? No, you just had to wait! Well, who is he, hmm?"

Lilian giggled. "Mom, I'm not pregnant. Dahlia however is, but she soon won't be. Now why don't you and Daddy get packed and come up to see us?"

There was a long silence, then her mom said, "Okay. Where are you now?"

"I'm in Tennessee. At Dahlia's?"

"How'd you get there so fast?"

Lilian smirked, remembering the long fifteen hour trek from Miami the day before. "I was outrunning a hurricane," she finally replied.

"What?"

Lilian laughed, shaking her head as she said, "It's a long story, Mom. Just get over here fast."

"Okay... I love you Lily."

"Love you too, Mom."

"Love you too!"

They hung up just as Matthew and Dahlia were getting ready to leave.

"I will call my parents," Matthew said. "They'll come get the kids so you and Dwayne can get out of here since you have stuff for tomorrow."

"Thank you," Lilian said gratefully, hugging him. "Call me if anything happens! We'll make a stop by the hospital before we leave though, okay?"

He nodded and then left.

Lilian shut the door and then sighed. She heard the other two, three counting D, laughing upstairs and decided to see what they were doing.

"What's going on here?" Lilian asked, amused as she saw Benjamin and Elisabeth sitting on Dwayne.

"We're playing pile on the newcomer," Dwayne said, laughing as he lifted Elisabeth off his lap. "So go on, guys, pile on the newcomer!"

"Hey!" Lilian exclaimed, giggling as Benjamin and Elisabeth jumped on her, knocking her to the ground.

"Hey, guys, know what Auntie Lilian likes?" Dwayne spoke up.

"What's that?" Benjamin asked.

"Being tickled!"

"Hey! Don't do that!" Lilian laughed, squirming when Dwayne joined the tickle fest.

She arched her back up off the floor, giggling with the others. "Don't! I give! I give! Please, no more!"

They continued with the tickling and soon Lilian became motionless on the floor.

"Hey, is she okay?" Benjamin asked.

They stopped tickling her and moved closer.

"Auntie Lilian?" Elisabeth said softly, reaching a pudgy hand out to shake her aunt.

Without warning, Lilian jolted up and pounced on the two children, tickling them in return. "Take that!"

Benjamin and Elisabeth screamed and giggled, trying to scoot away.

Dwayne merely laughed as he watched, marveling in how… maternal Lilian seemed. He really couldn't wait until they had their own kids…

_Wait… where did THAT come from?_ He asked himself, shaking his head.

The phone rang, breaking his thoughts. "I'll get it Lil," he called, dodging the tangle of legs and arms as he ran to grab the phone.

"Hello?"

"Yeah… uh, Dwayne? It's Matthew."

"Hey, man. How's Dahlia?"

"Good. She just had the baby. In the parking lot of the hospital."

Dwayne chuckled. "You're kidding!"

He heard Matthew laugh as well. "Nope, she sure doesn't wait."

"I guess not! How's the baby?"

"Absolutely perfect."

"Boy or girl?"

Lilian jumped up from the floor and ran over to him. "What's going on? What's happening? Is Dahlia okay?"

"Hang on," Dwayne said into the phone, "I'll let you tell Lilian before she chews my ear off with questions."

She glared at him playfully and took the phone. "What's going on?!"

"You're an aunt again, Lilian."

Lilian squealed with delight, then frowned slightly. "Wait. You left like ten minutes ago."

"Well, you know how impatient Dahlia is. She didn't even wait till we were in the hospital. She gave birth in the parking lot."

Lilian giggled, then asked, "Girl or boy?"

"Girl."

"What's her name?"

"Kristina Lilian."

Lilian gasped slightly, her eyes welling up with tears. "Oh, Matthew… are you sure?"

"Of course, we wouldn't name our daughter a name we didn't like."

"Aww, thank you!"

"I think somebody wants to talk to you, hold on."

Lilian heard the phone shift around and then her sister's voice came on. "Damn our Latina blood."

Lilian laughed. "How are you?"

"Ah, great, considering I just had an 8 pound baby girl."

"I bet she is adorable! I can't wait to see her."

"Matt's parents should be there soon, so don't worry. I forgot to tell you on the way out, both of those two wild things need naps."

"Okay, Dahlia," Lilian replied. "Congratulations again! I can't wait to show you the little outfit I bought her the other day!"

"Oh, Lord. My shop-a-holic sister is at it again!"

"Hush, Reina. You know you love it."

"Yeah, I do!" she said with a laugh. "I'll let you get back to the kids. Thanks, Lil. For all your help."

"It's no problem, Sis. I just know why we were driven away by a hurricane now!"

Dahlia wearily chuckled again, then said, "I'll talk to you later, Lil."

"Bye." She hung up the phone, seeing her niece and nephew staring at her with curious eyes.

"Who was that?" Benjamin asked.

"That was your mom," Lilian said, walking with to the floor where she sat down, motioning for them to follow.

"You have a brand new baby sister!"

Elisabeth gasped. "I do? It's here?"

Lilian nodded, surprised when Dwayne sat next to her.

"What's her name?"

Lilian looked at her nephew. "Kristina, you two get to go see her and your mom when your grandma and grandpa get here okay?"

Elisabeth yawned. "Yay!"

"I agree. And as for you missy, it's time for a nap."

"Ha ha," Benjamin laughed before the action too turned into a yawn.

"Ha indeed," Dwayne said with a laugh. "How about we get you two munchkins down for a nap?"

"Okay," Elisabeth agreed sleepily, climbing into Lilian's lap.

"Not here, sweetie," Lilian said with a smile, easily standing up and lifting her niece and carrying her out of the room.

"I'll put Benjamin down," Dwayne offered, helping the little boy up.

"Thanks, D," Lilian said gratefully.

"Yeah, thanks Uncle D," Benjamin chimed in sleepily.

Lilian tucked Elisabeth into her bed with Disney Princess sheets. She kissed her forehead and handed her a stuffed animal. "When you wake up, your grandma and grandpa will be here to take you to see your new sister," Lilian said softly.

Elisabeth nodded and soon drifted off. Lilian smiled and left the room, turning off the light and closing the door on her way out. She met Dwayne downstairs in the living room and sat down with him on the couch.

"Today sure was fun."

He grinned and put his arm around her shoulders. "Today was something else." He kissed her softly. "You were something else."

"You were amazing, too," Lilian pointed out.

"No, my dear," he said with a horrible fake accent. "You were more amazing." He kissed her lightly before switching back to his normal voice. "You'll make a great mother someday."

Lilian smiled softly, resting her head against his. "You think so?" she asked softly.

"No, I don't think so," Dwayne replied. Seeing her confused look, he added, "I know so."

* * *

End Part 12

Reina means Queen, for all you non Spanish speaking people.


	13. Chapter 13

The doorbell rang again, signaling more guests had arrived.

"Dios mio," Lilian muttered. "Why didn't we just put a damn sign on the door telling everyone to go around back?"

Dwayne laughed and continued watching the food on the grill.

Lilian put on a grin as she walked through his... their now completed house. She reached the front door and greeted Stephanie and Paul.

"Hey!"

"Hi Lil!" Stephanie had a dish in her hand. "I made you some of my brownies."

"Thank you very much, Steph!" She took the plate of chocolatey goodness and looked at Paul. "Hey, D's in the back if you want to go out and do whatever it is you men do."

"Okay," Paul agreed, setting off down the long hall and to the backyard. Lilian and Steph both rolled their eyes as a loud cheer from all the guys in the backyard rang out when Paul stepped outside.

"Men," Lilian said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah. They're a bunch of animals," Stephanie agreed, her eyes darting around the large foyer. "God, Lilian, this is beautiful!"

"Yeah, tell that to Dwayne. He did all the hard work," Lilian joked. "I just clean."

Stephanie opened her mouth to reply, but the door was knocked on again. Lilian opened it, squealing when she saw Trish and her fiancée Ron standing there.

"Why hello!" Lilian said smiling, after putting the brownies down on a small decorative table in the entryway.

"Hey girl!"

The two blondes hugged and they all headed back outside.

Lilian had already sat plates out on the tables set up outside. After checking to make sure that they hadn't blown away in the cool breeze, she noticed that Paul was now grilling and Dwayne was talking to the Coach.

She frowned, wondering what they could possibly be talking about.

"So, buddy, what have you been up to?" Dwayne asked the Coach, clapping his hand down hard on his shoulder.

"Not a lot," the other man replied back arrogantly.

"Really? Lilian has told me several times that you've been nice enough to show her the gossip papers with her stories in them."

Coach nodded hesitantly. "Yes I did. I would think she would like to be in the media. You know, since her album is coming out soon."

"Yeah, well," Dwayne said softly, his dark eyes boring holes in the sunglasses clad eyes of the Coach, "I don't think the articles are funny. Nor do I think it's funny that you go out of your way to show Lilian every single article. One bit. And if you bother her again, I'll make sure that I make a special guest appearance on Raw. And believe me, the ass kicking I give you will not be part of the script. Got it?"

"Got it," Coach replied miserably, slinking off to a corner.

Lilian shook her head, walking up to Dwayne. "What was that all about?" she asked, slipping her arm around his waist.

"Uh, let's just say that Coach won't be harassing you anymore," Dwayne replied innocently.

Lilian glanced at Dwayne. "You didn't threaten to kill him, did you?"

Dwayne laughed, pulling her closer and kissing her. "Of course not, baby," he whispered against her lips.

"Okay, good."

A high pitched whistling pulled the two apart. Lilian's green eyes widened at the newcomer.

"Holy shit! It's Stifler!" Lilian called.

Dwayne's co-star, Seann William Scott walked into the backyard.

Dwayne chuckled and walked up to his friend. "Hey! I'm surprised you made it."

"What? And miss your moving in?"

Dwayne grinned, taking his shocked girlfriend's hand and pulling her forward. "Seann, this is my girlfriend Lilian Garcia," he introduced to the young movie star.

"Nice to meet you," Lilian said shyly, sticking out her right hand.

"Likewise, Ms. Garcia," Seann replied, lifting her hand and kissing it lightly. "I am a huge fan."

"Really?" Lilian asked, surprised.

"Yes. 'Shout' was an awesome song. When will you be releasing your CD?"

Lilian tried not to freak as she replied, "Not soon enough." Seann nodded and set off through the crowd of people to sit next to Johnny Knoxville.

Lilian waited until he was out of earshot, then turned and smacked Dwayne on the chest. "D! Stifler's a fan of mine!" she squealed.

After they had all eaten dinner, the guys cleared the tables and grabbed a football.

"Who's up for a little pig skin?" Dave Batista asked, twirling the ball in his hands.

Trish and Lilian looked at him, shaking their heads.

"C'mon, we'll show these girls how it's really done!" Paul took the ball from him and silently decided they'd be the captains. "I pick Dwayne."

"I'm picking Ron!"

Stephanie crossed her arms. "You can't just pick guys, you pigs!"

"Okay. I pick Trish," Paul said with a smirk.

"You jerk!" Stephanie said, taking off after her laughing husband.

A few minutes later, the teams were set. Stephanie spoke up. "Okay. Here's the deal. We're playing touch football because I'm not explaining to my Dad why his main event stars have broken ribs."

Everyone laughed and broke into their respective teams. "Okay," Dave said. "Who's the fastest girl on the team?"

"Probably Speedy McRing Announcer over there," Torrie Wilson said with a laugh.

"Okay. Lilian. You run across the field and I'll throw the ball to you. All you gotta do is catch it."

"I… you want me to do what?" Lilian asked incredulously.

"Come with me," Dave said, taking her gently by the arm. He led her to the left end of the backyard. "I'm going to pass you the ball."

She nodded. "Do I catch it?"

He bit his tongue so he wouldn't laugh. "Yes."

Once everyone was in position, Dave got open and perfectly threw the ball in Lilian's direction. She held her arms out to catch it.

Dwayne saw it all happen and started to run towards his girlfriend, hoping to intercept the pass. Of course, he wasn't hoping to crash into Lilian who was also running for the ball.

Lilian flew up and over when Dwayne collided with her, the breath rushing out of her body as she landed hard on her side. For a moment, all she could do was lay there.

She tried to take a breath, panic rising in her chest when it felt like her windpipe was closed up. Lilian managed a choked gasp, the panic rising even more when she realized the wind had been knocked out of her.

"Fuck," Dwayne cursed, running over to where Lilian lay, gasping for breath. "It's okay, baby," he soothed, helping her to sit up. "Put your head in between your knees and try to relax."

Lilian complied, and after what seemed like hours, she was able to draw a deep breath. She looked up, tears in her eyes as she looked at the concerned group among her.

"Is that what was supposed to happen?" she weakly asked Dave, her hand going to her side automatically.

"No, Lil, definitely not. I am so, so sorry," he answered.

Lilian sat there for a bit longer, gaining her bearings.

"I think we should call it a night," Paul finally announced.

The rest of the group murmured their agrees.

Lilian managed to get up and show everyone out, hugging and telling everyone goodbye. When they were all gone, she practically collapsed against the wall. "Oh my God. I feel like I got ran over by a train."

"I am so sorry, Lilian," Dwayne said, rushing to her. He easily swept her into his arms, carrying her to the living room.

"It's okay, D. Honestly. I'll live," Lilian told him, but she couldn't help the grimace of pain that came across her face.

Dwayne gently set her down, guilt washing over his face.

"What hurts, baby?" he asked, placing a hand on her small arm.

"My… my ribs. And my hip hurts a little," she admitted.

Dwayne blew through his lips, shaking his head. "Lilian, I am so sorry," he murmured, resting his hand against her cheek. "Do you want to go to the emergency room?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm really okay. Let's just clean everything up so I can go lay down."

"I'll do it," he offered quickly. "I'll go get you a bubble bath started, okay? That warm water will help you."

"D, I'll be okay. I don't need you watching over me and doing everything for me, I'm not broken." She cracked a small smile, trying to prove she was perfectly fine.

"Will you at least let me clean up while you relax in the tub?"

She thought it over. "How can I possibly say no to that?"

Dwayne smiled, extending a hand to help her stand, worriedly watching as she gingerly put weight on her hip. "Lil… are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"

She smiled, hiding the wince as she raised her arm to touch his cheek. "D. I've had enough of doctors and emergency rooms these last two months. I think I'll live."

"Okay," he said softly, watching as she struggled up the steps. With a small sigh, he set to cleaning the rooms up.

When she padded down the steps an hour later, clad in flannel pajamas with Mickey Mouse on them, she was pleasantly surprised to see Dwayne waiting with a heating pad and a bottle of Tylenol.

"Hey, you," he murmured. "Feeling better?"

"Not really," she answered truthfully. "But it helped."

He frowned and helped her to the couch. After she was seated, he offered her two of the tablets. "Here you go, take some of these."

She accepted both the pills and the water. "If you're going to be so nice to me, I should just get beat around more often."

"I don't plan on beating you around anymore, Lil," he said, very serious.

"Dwayne, I was just kidding. I know you'd never hit me, especially not on purpose. This was just an accident. I've been hit before when I played volleyball. Obviously not by a 250 pound solid wall of muscle, but I've been hit by some pretty buff girls."

He finally smiled and plugged the heating pad in the wall.

"So what happened?" he asked curiously. Seeing her confused look, he reiterated, "How'd you get knocked around playing volleyball? It's not really a contact sport last time I checked."

Lilian chuckled. "I was always the smallest on the team. So of course there were always a few girls who didn't see me and ran into me. But once the team captain and I got into an argument before a match, and she took her frustration out by slamming into me when I was getting ready to set up a shot."

"Ouch," Dwayne said sympathetically.

"I don't remember too much. I do remember that I ended up on the other side of the court, though, she nailed me so hard," Lilian admitted. "Plus, she outweighed me by about seventy pounds, so…"

She trailed off, smiling up at Dwayne. "Accidents happen. Don't beat yourself up over it. If you want, I can run into you while you're standing there."

"Sadly, I just think you'd get hurt again."

"Hey!" She playfully slapped him on the arm, immediately regretting it when a sharp pain shot up her side. She sucked in a deep breath, making a hissing sound.

His jovious eyes soon turned into concern. "Are you alright?"

"Stop asking me that!"

Reaching over, slid his hand up and down her arm softly. "I am so sorry, Lilian. If I could go back and change what happen, I would in a heartbeat."

"I've had bigger guys than you fall on me before," she pointed out. "Remember when Jamal about killed me?"

Rock shook his head, remembering when the man now known as Umaga and Lilian had a run-in in the ring. Of course, Jamal hadn't been too careful and left Lilian with a nasty bruise on her stomach thanks to his shoulder.

"Let's not think about that now, Lilian," he said softly.

He guided her to the couch, helping her to lay down on the now warm heating pad. "How's that feel?"

"Pretty good," she replied, frowning as he sat on the floor next to her.

"What? I'm not going to crush you again!"

She pushed out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout. "No sex?"

He stared at her. "...stop talking."

She giggled and lifted her fingers to play with his hair. "You should fork that remote over. Oh, and I would love some of Steph's brownies."

He handed her the remote and trotted off for the kitchen. He returned later with the plate and two glasses of milk. "Here you go."

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Dwayne replied softly, glancing between the floor and the couch.

Sensing his hesitation, Lilian beckoned him forward with one finger. "Come here," she said softly.

He moved forward, his eyes darting between the heating pad and her face, the worry traced on his face.

"You're not gonna hurt me, D," she said softly. "So please, sit down."

He sighed, moving forward and sitting down gingerly. When she didn't wince, he moved closer, guiding her head so it was laying in his lap.

"You good?" he asked nervously.

"Perfect," she answered, watching the TV.

Now it was his turn to run his fingers through her hair.

"You're going to put me to sleep doing that."

He grinned. "Want me to stop?"

"Hell no!"

"You better watch your mouth, young lady. Don't make me get the soap out."

"You wouldn't dare! Besides, the soap would probably hurt my muscles even more and we both know you don't want to cause me any more pain."

"No, I certainly do not," Dwayne said with a twinge of guilt in his voice.

Lilian paused, then said, "D, that was wrong. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Lilian," he replied. "I'm the one who about killed you tonight."

"Hey," Lilian answered softly, bringing her hand up to cup his cheek. "It was an accident. That's all."

"Yeah, but I-"

Lilian interrupted before he could really speak. "So, D, if I were to run over your foot tomorrow, would you hold it against me for the rest of my life?"

He thought about it. "Yes, yes I would." He grinned and lifted her hand, placing feather light kisses across it. "I am going to do whatever I need to do to make sure you're as comfortable as possible."

"D...you really don't have to do that."

"Yes, I really do. You don't want to go to the hospital, so I have to be extra careful. I don't want to risk you being hurt and then I worsen it," he said grudgingly.

"You won't, okay?"

He sighed, but then eventually nodded. "Okay."

She smiled. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Sure," he said. "What are you in the mood for? And don't say that damn fish movie."

Lilian feigned shock at his words. "Oh, my aching ribs," she teased playfully, the tone in her voice letting him know she was kidding.

"Oh, come on Garcia. I know you wouldn't use my guilt against me just so we have to watch Finding Nemo. Again. In Spanish. Again."

Lilian giggled, resting her chin against his knee.

"Okay, Mr. Movie Action Star, what do you want to watch?"

"Now that you've mentioned it, I loved Doom."

"No," she said quickly. "That movie scared the holy hell out of me."

"What'd I tell you about that mouth?"

"...that you love it?" She wigged her eyebrows.

He gave her a stern look and grabbed the remote.

"Fine, I pick a Lifetime movie," Lilian said, snatching the remote.

"Oh c'mon Lilian! Anything but one of those movies! All it is is softcore porn!"

"No, no, baby, if you want softcore porn, I will turn it to the Oxygen channel and we can watch that one show, Bliss."

"Lilian Garcia! How do you know about shows like that?" Dwayne asked, surprised.

Lilian blushed slightly, smiling shyly at Dwayne. "What? It was late one night and I couldn't sleep so I started watching it and uh… yeah."

"Mm hmm," Dwayne drawled, shaking his head. "I'd have never guessed my girlfriend was into shows like that."

"Yeah, but…" She trailed off, looking up at Dwayne suddenly. "And just how do YOU know about Bliss?"

It was Dwayne's turn to blush deeply. "Uh… Dany was a big fan of it," he said quickly.

"Oh, okay. So if I were to call her right now, she would confirm that?" Lilian asked, reaching across his lap to grab the cordless phone.

"Yeah, she would, but...Simone is probably sleeping now and I'd hate for her to be woken up." He smiled at her innocently.

"Mhm, it's 8:45," Lilian retorted after glancing at the clock.

"Fine, just like you, I couldn't sleep one night and I was just flicking! I didn't think it was going to be porn!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why were you watching Oxygen to begin with? And don't tell me it's because you like watching Ellen."

"I'll have you know I watched plenty of Ellen along with Will and Grace when I had to play that role for Be Cool!" He stuck his tongue out at her.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Excuses, excuses," Lilian teased. "Can we watch something funny?"

"Be Cool was funny," he pointed out.

"Yes, it was," Lilian agreed. "I was thinking of something animated though."

"Oh, here we go with those goofy fish again," Dwayne groaned.

"Hey, buster. Don't you talk about Dory that way," Lilian threatened.

"Oh yeah? Or what?"

"Or this."

She struggled to sit up, managing to do so with his help. When Lilian was finally up, she leaned in, kissing him gently on the lips.

Dwayne accepted her embrace, carefully entwining his arms around her waist. "Lil…" he moaned. "I don't want to hurt you."

Lilian paused, kissing his forehead tenderly before leaning hers against his.

"You could never hurt me," she murmured softly. "At least not on purpose."

With that, he captured her lips this time, gently easing her down on the couch as he gently tugged at her shirt.

* * *

End Part Unlucky 13 


	14. Chapter 14

To quote one Joey Styles, "OH MY GOD!" Yes, tis Katy and Katie, here with a --gasp-- update? Wowzas! Seriously, folks, it's been awhile, so enjoy!

Oh, and break out the toothbrushes... that is all I will say!

* * *

"Hey, Lil."

"Hey, D." She didn't even bother turning from her position at the stove, watching the eggs cook.

Dwayne kissed Lilian's neck gently, pulling her closely to him as he did so. "How's your ribs?" he asked worriedly, running his hand over her lower back.

"They're fine," Lilian replied. "The heating pad and your magic hands really helped last night."

"Okay, if you say so," Dwayne replied doubtfully.

Lilian sighed, turning her attention from the stove. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently. "I'm fine," she whispered against his lips. "I promise."

"At least let me make it up to you?"

"How? Are we going to play one on one basketball or something?"

"Well, I was thinking something one on one, but not basketball."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Only if you'll let me win."

"No, no, we can't have any of that," he answered with a chuckle. "What are your plans for the evening?"

"Oh, you know, the usual - dinner with Oprah, small talk with Katie Couric, a bedtime story with my illegitimate child, Ricky Ricardo."

He snorted. "Yeah."

"What'd you expect me to say? Of course I'm not doing anything!" She paused. "Why?"

"I made us some dinner reservations."

"D," she whined. "I don't know if I'll feel up to it and I have nothing to wear!"

"Lilian, please," he murmured, cupping her cheeks with his large hands and staring into her eyes. "Allow me to do this."

Lilian sighed, looking up at him. "Okay, D," she replied. "But if I start hurting, can we please leave?"

"Of course, Mama," Dwayne replied softly. "I hope not, though. Because I have something special planned."

"Okay. Is this formal wear?"

"Yes."

"D. I don't have a dress."

Dwayne shook his head, a smirk on his face as he reached into his pocket and handed her his American Express card, taking in the wide grin that spread across her face. "Woman, you drive a hard bargain. Now pay attention to those eggs. They're starting to burn

* * *

"Lil, c'mon!" Dwayne yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "We're going to be late!"

"Okay!" Lilian called from up the stairs.

A door opened and she appeared at the top of the stairs. He had to clench his jaw to keep it from dropping. She walked down the stairs in a black, strapless dress that came to her knees, a little above whenever she took a step. The material was shiny in appearance with a diamond pendant in the center of the waist line.

"What do you think?" she asked when she got to the bottom step.

He looked her over. Her hair was curled and her boots were replaced with black stilettos. "Uh...Wow. I think...Wow. That is what I think: Wow. Just wow."

She arched an eyebrow. "Okay then."

Looking him up and down, she couldn't help but notice that he looked deliciously handsome in a charcoal gray suit with a pink and grey striped shirt and gray tie.

"You look really nice yourself," Lilian finally commented, smiling up at him. Despite the fact she was wearing massive heels, she was still dwarfed by his stature.

"Why thank you," Dwayne replied. "Now let's get going."

He held his arm out, and she placed her hand on his elbow, allowing him to guide her out of their house and to the car.

A little while later, they arrived at the restaurant, a posh setting called Castillo's.

They were seated at once as a result of Dwayne's reservations. Lilian looked around gleefully while a waiter filled their flutes with champagne. When he left, Lilian turned to face Dwayne.

"Dios, this must've costed you an arm and a leg!"

He smiled. "Nothing that wasn't worth it." He paused. "Are you sure you're okay? You aren't hurting?"

She looked at him sternly. "D, I am fine. I promise you that, okay? If I wasn't, I would tell you and I would ask to leave. You know that. Why don't you relax a bit? You've obviously had this planned and so I would rather you not worry about me."

He went to comment about slamming into her, but stopped and smiled. "Okay, you're right."

Lilian blinked, surprised that he was actually honoring her request. "Okay, then," she finally replied, glancing at the menu.

Once their orders had been placed, Lilian glanced wistfully at the other couples who had moved to the dance floor to sway gracefully to the sounds of a piano being played in the corner.

Following her glance, Dwayne smiled lightly. "Would you like to dance?" he asked softly, standing up and holding his hand out to her.

"Sure," Lilian answered shyly, accepting his offered hand.

They made their way over to the dance floor. They swayed their bodies along with the music and the other couples.

"So what is this really all about?" Lilian asked, her chin resting on his shoulder.

"What's what all about?" he questioned, grinning.

She pulled her head away to look at him. "Oh c'mon, D." She grinned. "I know something is up. I'm not that blonde."

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

"Aw, that's not fair!" Lilian whined, pouting out her lower lip.

"That look's not going to work this time, missy," Dwayne teased.

"Hmm… can I guess then?"

"Do I really get a say in this?

"No," Lilian replied. "Okay, um…"

Dwayne rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to him.

"Did you buy me a cat?"

"No."

"Dog?"

"Nope."

"Turtle?"

"The hell? No," he answered, chuckling.

"How about a pony?!"

He rolled his eyes as they walked off the floor once the song ended. "Nope."

"Is it wearable?"

He shrugged and pulled her chair out for her. "Could be." Dwayne sat down across from her.

"Hmm, is it...shiny?"

"Yes, with your attention span and being easily distracted, I bought you a sheet of metal."

She gasped. "Really? Is it gold?"

"Gold metal?"

"No, you goofball. The wearable shiny thing you bought me!"

"I never said it was wearable."

"Yes you did."

"No, I didn't," Dwayne teased. "I said, 'Could be.' There's a difference."

Lilian opened her mouth to reply, then closed it when she realized that Dwayne was right. "Well, is it?" she finally pressed.

"Not telling."

"It is!" Lilian exclaimed. "Is it a necklace?"

"Good Lord. You're worse than Simone on Christmas," Dwayne said with a laugh.

"I can't help it!"

At that time, their food was set in front of them, temporarily ending Lilian's questions.

"Are you having a good time?" Dwayne asked, twirling some angel hair pasta onto his fork.

She smiled up at him, chewing. She nodded and swallowed. "Yeah, this is awesome. I just wish I knew what was going on."

"Why does something have to be going on for me to want to take you to dinner?"

She put her fork down. "There doesn't. But...I don't know, you just seem really nervous tonight." She shrugged and picked up her fork again. "Sorry though, I'll stop."

"What do you mean, I seem nervous?" Dwayne asked, watching as she cut her filet mignon a little more.

"I don't know, Dwayne. You just… you seem nervous."

"How so?"

"Well," Lilian began with a sigh. "First of all, you keep adjusting your tie. Then, you keep twisting your class ring around your finger. And if that isn't enough, you keep shaking your leg and stopping when you realize that I realize you're doing it."

Lilian looked at him expectantly, nearly laughing at the surprised look on his face.

"Wow, Lilian," he finally replied. "I had no idea my gorgeous, sexy, musically talented girlfriend was also an expert on human behavior patterns."

"Well, it isn't that hard. You don't ever act like this unless something is up. I've known you for more than 7 years. I think I should at least know stuff like this."

He grinned and took a sip of water.

"I didn't know my handsome, sexy athletically inclined boyfriend wasn't aware of his nervous habits."

"You have habits too," he challenged.

"Oh? I do? Pray tell, D, what are they?"

"Well, you'll put your hand over your stomach, or push your hair behind your ears. And sometimes if you're really worried, you'll bite your bottom lip."

She stared at him. "Okay, Dr. Phil."

"Hey, it's Dr. Dwayne to you," Dwayne sniffed, flashing a grin at her before lowering his fork once again.

Lilian lowered her fork again, then glanced at him, surprised. "How did you know I bite my lower lip when I'm worried?"

Dwayne laughed, then said, "I notice things, Lil. I notice that you always separate your M&M's by color, and always eat them in order of your favorite color and eat them two at a time. I notice that even though you are right handed, you eat with your left hand." She glanced down at her hand, then back at him. "I also notice that when you sit at ringside, you sit on your hands when they are cold."

"You seem to have a pretty good focus on my hands," Lilian finally replied.

"You talk with your hands too," Dwayne added when she gestured to the limbs in question. "And, you're not even Italian!" he laughed.

She raised a hand to jab a finger in his direction. "Hey! You leave -" She stopped, dropping her arm. "Jerk."

"I'm just stating the facts, sweetheart."

She smirked at him. "Fine, if we're going with facts, let's not forget to mention your God awful snoring."

"I don't snore!"

"Yeah, whatever, you keep telling yourself that." She smiled sweetly over at him, placing a piece of steak in her mouth.

"Okay, if we're going there, how about when you take a bath and your hair ends up all over the sides of the tub."

"That's not fair! I can't help that I have a lot of hair!"

"That's not fair!" Dwayne mocked, reaching across the table to take her hand. He smiled softly at her, rubbing her small hand in between his. "I love you."

"I love you too, Dwayne," Lilian replied, unable to resist noticing that his eyes lingered on her fingers for a long moment.

"God, Lilian," he whispered, shaking his head before bringing his eyes up to meet hers.

"What?" she finally asked softly.

"I just… I love you. So much. And I want to spend the rest of my life together with you."

She nearly choked on her sip of champagne. "What?" She shook her head. "Are you asking me to marry you?"

"No!" he answered quickly. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, yes I do want to marry you, but not right now. Does that make sense?"

She nodded slowly.

"I don't want to rush things with you. You're too special. I feel like if I move too fast, I'll crush you. Besides, I like taking it slow with you. It gives me more time to memorize everything about you."

Lilian blushed. "Aw, you don't mean that."

"Of course I do!"

With that, he brought his gaze to the waiter of the night, nodding slightly. The young man brought over two roses that were being held together by something that Lilian couldn't see.

Dwayne took the roses, nodding his thanks to the waiter before bringing his attention back to Lilian.

"Lilian, do you know what the red rose signifies?"

"Love," Lilian whispered.

"Do you know what the white rose means?"

"Purity."

"Do you know what they mean together?"

"I… I can't say that I do, Dwayne."

"Together, red and white roses signify unity," Dwayne told her, moving his fingers to show her the gold band holding the roses together. "And I'd like you to display our unity by wearing this promise ring."

Her hand covered her mouth as tears found their way to the corners of her eyes. "Wow," she breathed out. "I-Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I'm more sure of this than I've ever been." He slipped the ring off the stems, reaching out to pick up her left hand, his fingers dancing over hers. "Will you?"

Lilian beamed, tears shining in her eyes. "Yes! Of course I will!"

Dwayne slid the ring onto her ring finger.

She held her hand out, marvelling at the ring. She slipped it off, admiring it. An engraving was on the inside part of the band. 'I love you.' And opposite that read, 'LG + DJ.'

She slipped the ring back on her finger, realizing that everyone in the restaurant was applauding. She blushed, smiling shyly at Dwayne.

"Congratulations," an older lady said as she came up to the pair, wiping her eyes. "That was amazing."

"Yeah," a younger man agreed. "I don't know how I'm going to top that when I finally propose," he grumbled good naturedly, giving his girlfriend's hand a squeeze.

"Thank you," Dwayne said with a light laugh, his hand covering Lilian's as he allowed his fingers to dance over the diamond encrusted in the center of the band.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he whispered.

She nodded quickly, a grin spreading across her face.

Dwayne waved the waiter over, paying the check with a single bill, insisting the waiter keep the change. He linked his fingers with Lilian and they left.

"I don't know what to do!" she said at last. "I don't know if I want to scream, or jump on you, or kiss you, or, or, I don't know!" She laughed happily, running to the truck.

"I know a way we can do all three," he quipped, cocking an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes. "Not like that!"

He laughed and started up the truck. "I was only kidding."

"Uh, huh," Lilian stated. "Sure. But..."

"But what?" Dwayne asked, glancing over at her.

"Who's to say I don't wanna do all three?"

* * *

End Part 14 


	15. Chapter 15

Oh, how we heart when Lilian does new interviews! LoL This little part is based on an interview Lilian did online in which she stated that she still has a torn tendon in her wrist due to what happened back in June of 2006 when Charlie accidentally knocked her out of the ring.

As usual, we disclaim. KThnx.

* * *

As the months passed, Dwayne and Lilian's relationship grew. They had gotten settled into their house in Greenwich. The publicity slowly faded once the divorce between himself and Dany was settled. Simone would come to visit and she took to Lilian right away. Often, Dwayne would sit back and smile as Lilian would put make up on his four year old daughter.

But not everything can be fairytale perfect. Lilian's left wrist had started to hurt her more and more after the accident in which Charlie knocked her off the ring apron. At night she would wake up from the throbbing pain. She never told D, she couldn't. She knew he'd start to worry and want her to be seen by a doctor. At this point and time, she didn't have time to stop her life and see a doctor.

Lilian groaned as she forced her eyes open in the middle of the night, instinctively glancing at the clock. 3:33 AM.

Her eyes immediately darted to the source of what woke her up yet again: a sharp, dull pain in her left wrist. "Oh," she moaned softly, tears welling in her eyes as she carefully wiggled out from under Dwayne's warm arms and sat up.

She tried to stop the tears from overflowing, but it was useless. Lilian cradled her arm to her stomach, running her right hand through her mussed hair.

It hurt.

It hurt worse than when the actual accident had occurred, and it was getting worse.

She could practically feel the throbbing heat coursing through her wrist. Moving to the edge of the bed, she heard Dwayne turn with a heavy sigh. Oh no, she thought. She didn't want to wake him up. That was the last thing she wanted.

"Lil?" he asked drowsily.

She could pretend to be sleeping, but then why would she be sitting up?

"What's the matter?"

Biting her lip, she whispered, "Nothing, go back to sleep. I'm just going to get a drink of water."

Before he could answer, she slipped off the bed, padding to the bathroom. While in there, she allowed the water to run for a moment, never filling a glass; instead, she stared at her wrist.

With a shaky hand, she pressed the fingers of her right hand against the bones, using her long fingers to try to massage the aching limb. "Oh," she groaned softly when the action proved to be futile, shutting the water to the sink off.

Lilian took a deep breath, walking slowly back to the bed. She climbed in, taking care as she didn't put any pressure on her hand.

She cuddled against Dwayne, resting her head against his chest and her left arm on her hip. Dwayne sighed contentedly, moving his arm to pull her closer to him.

Unfortunately, his arm came right down on her aching wrist.

"OH!" she yelled, nearly flying out of the bed. "Oh my God," she muttered, cradling her hand to her stomach.

"What?" he asked, now fully awake. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she lied, "I didn't mean to wake you up."

Dwayne frowned and sat up, turning on a lamp. "You don't yell in the middle of the night for nothing, unless..."

His attempt at a joke received a small smile. "I'm okay."

"You are not," he protested. "I'm being serious, what's wrong with you? What hurts?"

Lilian sighed, sitting up. "D… it's really nothing. My wrist is just kinda hurting."

"Kinda?" he repeated, sitting up as well and taking her wrist in his hand when he noticed her cradling it, frowning when she jumped and attempted to pull her hand back. "Lilian. What's wrong?"

"I… I don't know," she finally admitted, the last word drawn out in a semi-whine. "I just woke up tonight cause it was hurting."

"Just tonight?" Dwayne asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Lilian replied, jumping slightly as he pressed into the limb carefully.

"You sure, Lil?" he asked, the suspicion in his tone almost overwhelming.

"Yes," she answered tersely, finally pulling her hand out of his light grasp. "Why, don't you believe me?"

He shook his head, crossing his arms tensely. "It makes sense, now."

"What makes sense, D?" Lilian asked irritably, wanting nothing more than to go back to bed.

"The fact that I keep finding empty bags of ice in the trash when I wake up. You've been waking up in the middle of the night for awhile now, haven't you?"

"Why does it matter?" she asked, her tone changing.

"Because your health matters!" he said back in a louder tone.

"It's MY arm, Dwayne, not yours. You need to just back off and let me be."

"I can't do that and you know it, Lil." He reached forward again to gently grasp her arm, but she jerked away.

"Don't touch me."

"Lilian, don't be like this."

"ME? You're the one yelling at me!"

"I wasn't yelling! You're being stubborn and pigheaded again and you need to stop before you seriously hurt yourself."

"I repeat: why does it matter?"

"Damn it, Lilian! When will you see that people actually care about you?"

"God damn it, Dwayne, just… just back off!" she finally exploded, pushing the covers off and standing up. "I don't have time for this! I don't have time to argue, I don't have time to go running to the doctor cause of a little pain! Why can't you just let me be?!"

He stared back at her, the hurt evident in his eyes. "Lilian, I just…"

"You just what?" Lilian cut him off. "You just care? What, are you gonna go run to Vince again and make him make me go to the doctor's?"

In a flash, the hurt was gone, this time replaced with anger.

His dark eyes narrowed. "Don't even."

"No, you don't!" She glared at him and then grabbed her pillow. "Forget this. I'm sleeping on the couch."

Before he could stop her, she had the blanket in her arms as well.

Seething, he slammed his fist into the wall.

Lilian jumped, staring at the fresh hole in the wall nervously before her anger took over again. "That's just brilliant, Dwayne," she bit off. "Take your anger out on the wall. That'll look real great when I'm rushing you to the hospital for a broken hand."

"At least I'm smart enough to know when to go to the doctor's!"

Lilian glared at him, briefly thinking that it was a good thing she currently had blankets in her arms rather than something heavier or else it would have been launched at his head.

"Fuck you, Dwayne," she finally murmured, turning on her heel and leaving the room.

She stormed down the steps, expecting him to be following her and continue laying into her. However, the door to the bedroom slammed shut and silence was prominent in the house.

"Asshole," Lilian muttered as she threw her pillow and blankets down on the couch, wincing when pain began to course through her bones again.

"God damn it," she cursed lowly, laying down and resting her head back, closing her eyes.

But sleep was a long way coming.

* * *

Dwayne walked down the steps the next morning, stunned to see Lilian dangling off the couch. But her sleeping form brought back the previous night's events. Jaw clenched, he walked into the kitchen to start breakfast, purposely being noisy. 

Pans were clambering and cabinets were being slammed. Lilian groaned and rolled over. "That bastard," she muttered through clenched teeth. Sliding off the couch, she stalked into the kitchen.

He heard her behind him, but didn't bother to turn around. She could make her own damn breakfast.

"What, now you aren't even going to act as though I'm human?" He stayed silent. "Ugh! You are such a child."

Lilian shook her head and exited the kitchen, flopping back down on the couch. She lifted her hands to run them through her hair, stopping when a sharp pain ran down her wrist.

"Oh, God," Lilian murmured, tears springing to her eyes.

Without a word, Dwayne walked into the room, dropping the phone on the couch next to Lilian before walking out of the room again.

"Thanks!" Lilian called sarcastically, resisting the urge to throw the phone at him.

With a sigh, she grabbed the phone, knowing what she had to do.

Taking a moment to control herself, she dialed the number.

"Dr. Andrews' office."

"Hi, this is Lilian Garcia, may I speak with Dr. Andrews?"

"One moment please."

Lilian sat and twirled her finger around the blanket she had used last night.

"Dr. Andrews."

"Hi, this is Lilian."

"Lilian!" the doctor said cheerfully. "How are you doing?"

"Not so well actually."

"Not so well?" Dr. Andrews repeated worriedly. "What's wrong? Is it your throat?"

"No… actually my throat feels great," she said. "It's my wrist. It's really hurting me."

"The one you hurt back in June when the blind man ran into you?"

Lilian chuckled softly. "Yes, Dr. Andrews."

"Okay," he said. "Do you think you can get here later today?"

"I'm in Greenwich, which is about an hour away, so yes."

"Okay… let me put you back on with my secretary and she'll pencil you in, okay?"

"Okay."

Her appointment was made for four that afternoon which left plenty of time for her to get ready.

Dwayne walked into the room, eyeing her. "Was that so hard?"

"Oh go to hell," she barked. She stormed up the stairs and slammed the bathroom door shut.

Close to an hour later, Lilian walked down the steps. The shower had calmed her down quite a bit.

That is until she saw D. He had dressed in a pair of jeans and a gray shirt with a Led Zeppelin symbol monogrammed into it. In his hands were the car keys.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" she spat out, grabbing her Gucci bag from the banister.

"I'm driving you."

"No, you're not," Lilian spat at him.

"You're in no shape to-"

"To what, Dwayne? Drive? I've been doing it for the last seventeen years of my life, thank you very much."

"Lilian, your hand-"

"-I can drive one handed-"

"Oh, for God's sake, Lilian, would you just shut the fuck up and let me talk?" he finally yelled.

Lilian jumped, hurt filling her green eyes.

He calmed down after seeing her eyes swell with tears. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell."

"Let's go," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"We have a few minutes," he said in a quiet voice.

"A few minutes for what?"

Sighing, he put the keys down on the table and ushered her into the living room where he sat her down on the couch.

"D, my appointment is -"

"Not for another four hours. Can we talk please?"

"Okay."

"I'm sorry for yelling at you. I just wish you would take better care of yourself. I know you feel like you have to be a tough girl and prove yourself to everyone, but if there's something seriously hurting you, you have to get it taken care of."

"Okay," Lilian said in a soft voice, feeling like a little girl who had just been scolded for stealing a pack of gum. "I'm sorry."

"Hey," Dwayne said softly, cupping her cheeks. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I just… worry about you, that's all. And when you're hurting, I hurt too. I don't want you to be in pain."

Lilian sniffled, tears involuntarily running down her cheeks.

"Shh," Dwayne whispered, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. "What's wrong?"

"It just… it hurts, D," Lilian sniffled. "What if this delays my album even more? I mean… it's taking long enough to get released as it is… I don't want anymore setbacks."

Dwayne closed his eyes briefly, realizing immediately why Lilian hadn't said anything… Mentally, he slapped his forehead, opening his eyes to meet hers again.

"It's not your throat," he said smiling. "And it isn't your writing hand. You'll still be able to sign copies even if you have to go back to a soft cast."

She frowned. "I don't want to go through that again. I hated all those looks I got in the halls after and if I show up in a brace, they're just going to hate me even more."

"Lil, nobody hates you. Please don't think that."

She shook her head, enjoying the feel of his palms on her cheeks. "They laughed at me. I realize I overreacted but..."

"It's okay, please don't cry." He paused, then added, "And if anyone says anything to you, just tell me and I'll take care of it."

Lilian nodded, a ghost of a smile on her face as she remembered watching Dwayne talking to Coach at their get together a few months ago.

"Hopefully, though, it won't come to surgery and you'll be fine with some therapy," Dwayne told her.

"Okay," Lilian replied, closing her eyes when Dwayne kissed her forehead.

He stood up, extending a hand to her. "How about we grab lunch before we go to New York?"

"Who's buying?"

"Me of course," he replied with a playful roll of the eyes.

"Good… I think I deserve it after you made me sleep on the couch…"

"Made you? I did no such thing! You did, however, make me sleep without any blankets."

"Well you sure weren't making an effort to come get me!"

He grinned and kissed her softly. "Let's go."

Standing up, he offered her his hand which she accepted. "You are so buying dinner too."

"I didn't expect anything else," he shot back with a grin.

* * *

Dr. Andrews frowned as he glanced at Lilian's x-rays, circling something with a marker. Lilian and Dwayne exchanged looks, the wrestler formerly known as the Rock squeezing her hand gently. 

Dr. Andrews turned around, smiling sympathetically at Lilian. "How do you feel about having a little surgery?"

"I think it sucks," Lilian replied flatly.

Dr. Andrews shook his head, winking at Dwayne before telling her, "Well, you still have a torn tendon in your wrist, which explains the pain."

"Yeah? What are the other options besides surgery?"

"Ice and Tylenol." He shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry there isn't anything else."

Lilian bit her lip. "What does the surgery involve?"

"We'd have to chisel your bone a bit so we can reattach the tendon."

Dwayne looked at her. "Sort of like what they did on my ankle."

She nodded and then asked the most important question, to her anyways. "How long will I be out for?"

"Well," Dr. Andrews said. "We would put pins in to stabilize the bone as well and put you in a brace. You'd be in that for six to eight weeks."

Lilian sighed deeply, frowning as she looked at the hand sitting in her lap.

"But," Dr. Andrews continued. "I don't see why you can't ring announce or do promotional stuff for your album. That first week you're going to be pretty sore, but after that it's just a matter of the bone healing on it's own."

Lilian breathed a sigh of relief, smiling briefly at Dwayne. "And what are the chances that this will fix the problem?"

"Very good. In my thirty years as a doctor, I've only had one person have complications, and that was twenty-seven years ago."

"Could I have some time to think about it?" she asked shyly.

"Of course you can," the doctor answered. "It's not a life or death situation. You know my number," he added, standing up.

"What do you think I should do?" Lilian asked once they were back on their couch in Connecticut.

"You want my true opinion on this?" She nodded. "You won't get mad?" She nodded again. "I think you should have the surgery."

"What? Why?"

"Lil," he said chuckling. "Let me finish."

She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath as she heard him out.

"It's just now starting to hurt, Lilian. I don't want you to wait until it's worse and completely ripped off your bone. If you wait, the recovery time will be longer."

Lilian sighed, resting her head against his arm and holding her wrist to her stomach. "Will you take care of me and shower me with love and flowers and chocolate?"

He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "I did last time, didn't I?"

"No, you wouldn't give me chocolate," Lilian pouted.

"It wasn't on the approved food list!" Dwayne exclaimed, smiling at her briefly before continuing, "Well?"

Lilian sighed again, looking at him with big green eyes.

"Can you hand me the phone?"

* * *

End Part 15 


End file.
